Gloriously Ordinary Sundays - 26th April 2026
So, I’m willing to own the fact that today’s Gloriously Ordinary Sundays is going to sound like a Tricia Nicoll rant, but I’m still going with it.
Steps onto soapbox.
Why are we obsessed with using initials instead of people’s names in our world of health, social care and education?
I’ve experienced it for me, for my mum and still, endlessly for both my kids. In email subject headings, letters, record keeping and referral forms. When we tell stories about people and call them ‘S’ instead of making up a name and talking about Fred, or Marek or Hafsa.
Genuine email subject headings I’ve received just this month.
Meeting about TG
Doctor Smith Online Teams review – TG
Concerns - TG
Budget review for CC
Triage appointment PN
I can’t bear it.
[Image description: A screenshot of an email with the subject line "Concerns TG". The email reads: "Dear Jane, I am writing to respond to concerns raised about TG and her placement. These concerns have been reviewed with all relevant staff and the placement provider. As TG does not have capacity, decisions are being made in her best interests, with appropriate professionals involved. The current placement continues to be monitored, and additional support measures have been put in place to ensure her needs are met. We will continue to review the situation and make any necessary adjustments. Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further. Kind regards, Emily Carter"]
Our names are so important, aren’t they? Any of us who are blessed with a full name that is different from the one we use will know that feeling of not quite recognising the ‘Patricia’ they are calling for at the doctor’s surgery. Most of us have a story about our name, or something important about it. My brother tells the story of how, when I was very small, I quickly learned that people didn’t know how to spell Tricia, and I always said, ‘my name is Tricia – T-R-I-C-I-A’ – pronounced phonically.
If I think of some of you reading this who I know, even if I don’t know you well, just saying your name to myself conjures up adjectives about you.
Initials just don’t do the same. They are impersonal, not very human. If I’m reading about TG, who has challenging behaviour, it is unlikely that I know she loves music and is an amazing composer.
Using initials makes it much easier to think and behave in less human ways.
CC gets placed somewhere.
Ciaran Cameron lives in the place he calls home.
Every time I bring it up with anyone concerned with my life or my kids’ lives, I’m told that it is about being compliant under the General Data Protection Regulation… or actually the sentence is usually, ‘Oh, it’s GDPR, we have to’. I did some checking (obvs) and the requirement is to protect personal data and only share what is necessary. So, initials are one way of doing that, but not a legal requirement in themselves.
There’s some topsy-turvy stuff here. Initials are not truly anonymous – how many of us have been in meetings where everyone is talking about TG and yet everyone knows exactly who we are talking about? We pride ourselves on care and support being dignified and person-centred, yet there is little less person-centred than referring to me by my initials.
Why does a letter or email, sent from a secure system to only me or Ciaran, need to use initials? The good people at NHS Blood Donation seem to be able to email and write letters that are both addressed to me and which use my name throughout the letter. Not so much the world of social care.
The lovely team of people at St Elizabeth’s are part of our current Gloriously Ordinary Language programme, and they quickly realised that they used initials on children and young people’s school timetables. Documents that are just used in school and within the organisation, and sometimes with families. A really quick win for them was to change this immediately so that the child’s name is used.
My request for the week.
Have a look at where you are using people’s initials and work out where you can just stop it.
Please.
I’ll leave you with the beautiful irony of the email with the subject heading ‘Doctor Smith Online Teams review – TG' – which then has in the body of the text her full name and NHS number!
PS.Did you see? The Gloriously Ordinary Sundays Podcast episode 15 is here. I indulge myself a little bit with some nostalgia, going back to the time when my two were at school and reflecting on what great inclusion looked and felt like to us as a family. I'll share some lovely memories of The Girl's experience, and you'll hear Ciaran talking about his own memories. Have a listen, and we'd love to hear what you think!