Clean Language in Primary Care 25+ Years Ago
One of the first people ever to use Clean Language in healthcare, retired London GP* Sheila Stacey, spoke recently about the impact of David Grove’s questions on her practice.
Sheila, who retired in 1998, began her journey with Clean Language as far back as 1988. She learned directly from legendary Clean Language creator David Grove, and by connecting frequently with other practitioners like Penny Tompkins, James Lawley, and Caitlin Walker.
As her Clean skills developed, she experimented with applying what she had learned in consultations with patients.
“I just used it where it was helpful,” she said.
Sheila introduced Clean Language questions such as “What would you like to have happen?” and found that they helped her to quickly uncover the real reasons behind a patient’s visit.
She said: “They always used to call it in the GP training business ‘the door knob remark’ – it wouldn’t be until they were actually going that they revealed the reason for them coming in the first place.” Being asked Clean Language questions, Sheila found, helped patients to get to the point more quickly.
At the same time, the questions shifted control of the consultation towards the patient. “It took away the control of the consultation being all with the GP, and moved it a bit to the middle, so it was controlled more by them. That was a bit unusual in those days,” Sheila said.
Sheila worked at the same GP practice for 20 years, and knew many of her patients very well. Over the months and years, she got to know their metaphors, too, as she asked Clean Language questions about, for example, how their illnesses were affecting their lives.
“It was very useful, for me and for them, to have something to hang things on. Just thinking of that representation of whatever it was – that pain, or that thing they couldn’t do – and developing it as a metaphor, meant a lot for them and for me,” Sheila said.
Learning from David was always hit and miss. She said: “His organisation was so terrible that you had to be terribly persistent to bother to go, because you didn’t know it was going to actually materialise! It was a very hand to mouth business.”
A weekly group organised by Caitlin in a children’s play centre – complete with child-sized chairs and tables – filled the vacuum and kept a group of enthusiasts learning together.
When David did show up, it was worth the wait. “He was very warm and interested in you when he was working with you. I was lucky to have done this work I did with him at various times – really helpful.
“I remember once we were doing some long thing in a workshop that went on and on – the poor other people there must have got really fed up!
“He often didn’t appear to be interested – he would be sitting looking out of the window or whatever. But he would be very pertinent about what he asked, so that I would go off into a sort of trance and the answers would just come.”
In retirement, Sheila has continued to embrace Clean Language. Now as a patient herself, Clean Language is still a valuable tool for fostering collaborative dialogues with healthcare professionals.
General practitioner or GP is the UK term for what is known in other parts of the world as a family doctor or primary care physician.