An email, believed to have been sent to staff at the Department of Health and Social Care and sent to UKHSA workers, is said to have told them to avoid using “Oxford commas” – the last comma is used in a list of things. The Financial Times (FT), which first reported the story, said the document was titled “Preferences of the new foreign secretary”. He asked employees to “be accurate” and “be positive — if we’ve done something good, let’s say it and avoid double negatives,” the paper said. A UKHSA official told the FT the email was “overly patronising” and added: “The idea that we should frame issues positively shows a person who doesn’t want to deal with problems, so that’s not encouraging.” Ms Coffey also came under fire for the email on Twitter from NHS staff and patients. Deputy Prime Minister and new Health Minister Therese Coffey (PA) She has previously shared her hatred of the Oxford party on Twitter, describing it in 2015 as one of her “pet peeves”. “I abhor the Oxford party and refuse to use it,” wrote the MP. He said he was “delighted” to learn that Oxford University Press was reducing its use in 2011, adding: “I can’t stand it and remove it all the time. I’m going crazy.” According to government sources, it is not unusual for ministerial groups to set working arrangements for staff when new ministers are appointed. They said the government had “set out a broad guide for staff to help deliver effective services to the public and deliver better outcomes for patients”. The FT reported that UKHSA workers were feeling “discouraged” after the government earlier this year made significant job cuts to temporary staff involved in outbreak control during the Covid pandemic. Some permanent staff have been offered a 2.5% pay rise to help manage the rising cost of living. “We are actually taking a pay cut,” an employee with knowledge of the plans told the FT. A UKHSA spokesman said: “UKHSA does not comment on leaked emails or updates. “We greatly appreciate all of our hard-working colleagues who work tirelessly to make our nation’s health safe.”