Sorry, not sorry

Public figures accused of wrong-doing announce they are “sorry if” people have been offended, outraged, confused etc by their words or actions. The implication is that it is people’s reactions that have inspired the sorrow, not shame about the actions themselves – and often that those reactions are disproportionate to whatever perceived wrong has occurred.

Nearly as common is the “sorry but” tactic in which the public figure expresses sorrow, but adds some qualification that effectively absolves themselves of blame and, again, perhaps suggests the concern is disproportionate.

Sometimes, of course, the non-apology is just that - ‘I’ve done nothing to feel sorry about’. This is again, often followed by, ‘which is more than can be said for…’

It now appears as if the non-apology is being adopted by some NHS leaders.

In the space of seven days we have seen:

• The Christie react to a report saying it had been “dismissive” of whistleblowers by – appropriately – dismissing the report as inaccurate and out of date.
• The leadership of Walsall Healthcare Trust and Royal Wolverhampton Trust deploy the “sorry if” defence against accusations of “poor behaviour” by implying they needed to bang some heads together to drive improvement.
• The chief executive of University Hospitals Birmingham express irritation about his referral to the General Medical Council, stating that he could “live with” the “admin error” which he said had sparked it.

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Source: HSJ, 4 February 2022