You can’t say that!

Traditional Oldham endearments such as “love” and “sweetheart” will be banned from hospital wards from today under new guidelines from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Nurses are being told to stop using them because elderly patients may be offended. Reporter Janice Barker found that shoppers in Tommyfield Market Hall think the idea is a bit daft, darlin’.

Husband and wife Stuart and Barbara Whittaker, both 63 and from Coppice, said being called “love” or similar names would not bother them.

Derek said: “I was in the Royal Oldham Hospital and everyone was quite respectful. They just called me by my name, but completely ruling out things like ‘love’ is a bit over the top — it would not bother me.”

Barbara added: “I don’t think it is disrespectful. It would make me feel more comfortable.”

Former shopkeeper and pawnbroker Sandra Marks, of Hathershaw, said: “I would call people ‘love’ or ‘darling’ but it would depend on whether it was a man or a women.

“There are also circumstances where it is not appropriate, but it gets to be a habit.

“However, the guidelines are a bit too strict.”

For David Ranson (23), of Oldham, it was over the top.

And, as a very recent hospital patient, he added: “It is just a way of being nice, rather than using Mr or Sir, it is less formal.

“I have worked in a call centre talking to people from all around the country and it differs from region to region. I was called ‘duckie’, ‘chuck’, ‘love’, and ‘darling.’”

Stallholder Abid Mahmood, from Rochdale, has been on the inside and outside markets for 30 years, and said he doesn’t mind at all if people use pet names, but he added: “It is up to the individual. If you have a blanket rule, it is probably not good, but a lot of people don’t mind and don’t think it’s patronising.

“I use words like that all the time, but I think there are times when you feel people don’t like it so I adjust.

“In the market may be OK but perhaps not in Selfridges. I think ‘love’ is a bit 1970s.”

While Brian Fletcher (77) from Oldham is used to being called “love”, his wife Mary (82) who comes from near Glasgow, said in Scotland the general term of endearment is “hen.”

She added: “I have been here for 40 years and we do call people ‘love’.”

Brian added: “It has been happening in Lancashire for as long as I can remember.

“It doesn’t bother me and I don’t think it is disrespectful.”

Barbara Burgess (69) and her husband, Derek (71), from Oldham, aren’t bothered by names like ‘love.’ Mr Burgess added: “I’ve been called worse.

“I think cracking down on them is stupid. It must be part of the north/south divide.”

Mrs Burgess said: “You just don’t notice them.”

Cosmetic stall holder Lizelle Thorpe (39) said: “To crack down on them is just pathetic.

“I use names all the time, I call people ‘love’ and ‘sweetheart’.

“I’ve been in hospital myself and been spoken to like that by nurses — I don’t object at all.”