SENSIBLY, ambulance chiefs in Lancashire have stopped short of issuing rigid rules banning crews from addressing patients in friendly terms such as "love," "pal," or "sunshine."

Even so, they have felt it necessary to hold a survey among staff to find out what is considered appropriate.

This comes after a patient took offence at being called "mate" and made an official complaint.

The upshot was him being offered an apology -- and the subsequent investigation of what ambulance workers regard as correct forms of address and which aren't.

The ambulance service has, of course, more important issues to consider and might have dealt better with this matter by writing down this man's complaint as a scarce event -- which it clearly is when, as the service's own statistics show, in the most recent quarter only five complaints about staff attitudes have been received while carrying out 180,000 patient journeys.

Indeed, many people might wonder what sort of person it is that is so offended at being called "mate" that he goes to the extent of making an official complaint presumably after being treated or taken to hospital by paramedics.

And it would surely be extreme and extraordinary if ambulance workers -- who far too frequently suffer abuse and violence from patients and routinely work in stressful situations -- were to be disciplined, however mildly, for being 'too friendly.'

In the sort of situations they face every day ambulance workers prove the old adage that actions speak louder than words.

In short, they have enough on their plates as it is without worrying over an issue like this or being sounded out about it.

Such matters are best left to old-fashioned common sense. Current training procedure expects crews to address patients as "sir" or "madam" and, afterwards, to use terms that are 'driven' by the patients themselves.

And, really, that is all that is required from anyone dealing with the public.