Why the language we use matters
In health and social care, words matter. The way we talk about services, policies and people can either open doors to understanding or unintentionally create barriers.
We often forget that the words and phrases we use daily in meetings, reports, or conversations with colleagues may not be clear to everyone, especially those we support. Terms like "pathway," "triage," or "system-level change" might make perfect sense to us, but to many people, they are unfamiliar, confusing and even intimidating.
Report published 2nd September 2025
Written by Gemma O'Connell
A jargon buster for health and care professionals
A reflective tool
We have created a resource to help improve the way health and care professionals communicate with the public. This resource is NOT a glossary for the public and it is not about banning certain words. Instead, it is a tool designed for professionals (including frontline workers, communication or involvement leads or senior decision makers), to help you:
- Spot the jargon you use without realising it.
- Understand what it means in plain English.
- Find better alternatives so that more people understand you the first time.
The aim is simple: to help everyone in health and care speak in a way that is clear, inclusive and accessible.
Click on the button below to read our Jargon Buster.
Using jargon can unintentionally exclude people, especially those who:
- Don't work in health and care.
- Speak English as an additional language.
- Have learning disabilities, low literacy or are neurodivergent.
- They are under stress when trying to understand their care.
Plain language isn't about "dumbing down". It is about fairness, respect and making sure people feel confident and informed. Clear communication is also part of delivering equity: if information is only understandable to professionals, then not everyone has an equal chance to be involved in decisions about their health and care.
Unjumbling Jargon - Young people explain what common jargon means
Our Youthwatch volunteers created two brilliant short films called Unjumbling Jargon. In them, young people react to jargon words and suggest a simple alternative.
These videos are a powerful reminder that clear communication is not just nice to have, it is essential if we want people of all ages to feel included, respected and understood.
Unjumbling Jargon 1
Unjumbling Jargon 2
Credits:
The Unjumbling jargon-buster document is a collaborative working document created by Healthwatch Leeds in partnership with third sector organisations, health and care communications professionals, West Yorkshire Voice, and local Healthwatch in West Yorkshire.
This blog was drafted with the support of AI to help structure content and suggest plain-language examples. It has been fully checked, edited, and approved by our team in line with our AI usage policy.