The words to use
- Shared goal
- The outcome both sides want, such as a patient's safety or a project finished on time. Naming it turns an argument into joint problem-solving.
- Escalation
- Taking a concern to someone more senior when it cannot be settled where it started and a patient, or someone's wellbeing, is at risk.
- Compromise
- An agreement in which each side gives something up. It is the right ending for most disagreements, but never at the cost of a patient's safety.
- Freedom to Speak Up guardian
- A named person in NHS organisations who helps staff raise concerns they cannot raise in other ways. The national office closed in June 2026; NHS England now leads.
