In Norfolk a case of the dudders or feeling a bit dwainy has always been a straightforward matter. Foreign doctors and nurses working at a hospital are finding it even more complex.

Most people don’t know that dudders mean shivers and dwainy mean sickly in the local dialect. Foreign doctors who work at King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital are to receive training on phrases specific to Norfolk.

Following a whole series of misunderstandings bosses at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s lynn are sending staff who are English speaking as a second language on training sessions to explain local slang and phrases.

Later they receive a diary to write down any confusing comments they attend to their wards so they can be discussed later in group meetings.

“Obviously it’s important that all medical staff are fluent in English but slang and colloquialisms can easily be learned on the job,” Fiona McEvoy of the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

The first was participate in the sessions were eight Portuguese nurses. Another ten from Portugal are also ready for the language course.