AMBULANCE crews have been told to be careful about how they address patients, after receiving a complaint from a man offended at being called 'mate'.

Today bosses at Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust admitted they had launched an internal consultation into the use of other words like 'pal', 'love' and 'duck' to see if they also caused offence.

One senior officer said such terms should not be used at all.

The patient who complained about being called mate was given an apology and no action was taken against the member of staff.

Alan Drake, Lancashire ambulance education and training officer, said: "Terms such as 'pal, 'mate', 'sunshine' are certainly not in the training and should not be used.

"We teach staff always to start by addressing the patient as 'sir' or 'madam.'

"Anything after that has to be driven by the patient."

After the complaint was received, bosses canvassed staff to see if they thought the term mate was appropriate.

They also asked for views on love, pal and duck.

Paul Bastow, clinical effectiveness manager at Lancashire Ambulance, said: "We have noticed a rise in this sort of complaint over the last couple of years.

"We have now told staff to be aware that some people don't like this terminology and to think what suits the situation.

"You cannot be prescriptive and draw up guidelines as some people prefer the friendly terms."

Tony Dixon, acting director of A&E operations for Lancashire Ambulance, said: "Now and again we do cross over what a patient might think is acceptable and be over-familiar.

"If someone called me mate or pal that would be no problem for me.

"I wouldn't call anyone duck but in Nottingham everyone gets called duck.

"In Lancashire everyone is love.

"But we certainly don't mean any offence by it -- it is just establishing a rapport.

"We are learning all the time.

"We constantly take views and comments off crews."

Jonathan Fox, a spokesman for the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel, said: "We do not want to go back to the mad politically correct days of the 1980s.

"However, you cannot be sure that using the term 'mate ' will not be offensive.

"We have to deal with each incident as it comes."

In the quarter ending on June 30 this year, 36 complaints were received from patients, including five regarding the attitude of the crew.

In that period 180,000 patient journeys were carried out by Lancashire ambulance crews.

Helen Gee, chief officer for Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council, said: "I think it is up to the health workers to use their judgment.

"You cannot make rules about it.

"I personally don't like being called 'love,' but that is just personal to me."

One ambulance man, who did not want to be named, said: "Terms like mate and love are common to East Lancashire and are generally accepted.

"When you're dealing with someone semi-conscious and you don't know their name, the first thing you call them is mate or love.

"The whole thing is barmy."