How the militarisation of medicine dehumanises us

When did 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 become a 𝐰𝐚𝐫 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞?
We 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 disease.
We 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 illness.
We 𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫 on cancer/invisible killers.

We talk about 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭-𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 staff, winter 𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 and 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞. The military language is so embedded in healthcare that we barely notice it.

But 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥.

And hospitals are not 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬, but places where extraordinary people deliver kind, compassionate and extraordinary care.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

When illness is framed as an enemy, recovery becomes a test of courage and willpower.

• Illness becomes a test of character
• Treatment becomes combat
• Death becomes defeat

Patients deserve better than that.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

The Wartime terminology in healthcare leadership is everywhere:
𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭-𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 clinicians
ED’s 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐞
Winter 𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 units
𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧/𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬

And we hear phrases like 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 staff, 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬.

At a workshop I recently attended, neighbouring hospitals were described as “𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫”, emails used as “𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”, and data as a “𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧”. In just one hour, healthcare had become a warzone.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

These metaphors are not harmless. War and healing are fundamentally incompatible.

• They normalise aggression, hierarchy, and machismo
• They erode compassion, partnership, and trust

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨?

We may never entirely eliminate these metaphors, but we can become more aware of them and choose more gentle language.

Even small shifts in the words we use can help create a more humane culture for both patients and staff.