Finding the right words: how to communicate bad news

In business, as in life generally, success often depends on good communication. And sometimes the inspiration for effective communication comes from the most unexpected quarter.

We all need to communicate bad news from time to time. At work, at home, with friends or distant acquaintances. It may be quite trivial, a late running train or a missed appointment. Or it may involve something more serious, such as redundancy, an exam failure, some sort of accident or a family crisis. So, are there any rules we can fall back on when we need to communicate bad news?

A recently published study of how clinicians communicate cancer diagnoses offers some surprising lessons that are easily translated into other sectors and walks of life.

The research, which was presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in Chicago towards the end of last year, concluded that patients valued doctors who provide emotional support and grounded optimism to sit alongside the facts of their diagnosis. They also appreciated empathetic language and physical communication cues such a friendly hand on the shoulder. And the researchers found that communication aids, such as pictures and pamphlets, were particularly valuable.

But, of course, communicating unwelcome news can be complex and is rarely straightforward. The communicating cancer research also found that, while some patients wanted the doctor to determine their treatment, others wanted to have a more active role in choosing that treatment, which suggests that clinicians need to listen carefully and be open minded about what sort of patient they are talking to.

And here’s an interesting twist. While most patients want to know the chances of a positive outcome, the number falls when the outlook is poor. Balancing optimism with realism is never easy. And when it comes to communicating a cancer diagnosis, the task is no easier for the patient than it is for the clinician.

It was two years ago that King Charles and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, were both diagnosed with cancer. The King has adopted a carefully balanced communication strategy that offers empathy to others and the encouragement of early detection, while maintaining a perfectly reasonable degree of personal privacy about the precise nature of his diagnosis.

He has been transparent about the fact of his diagnosis, but has not revealed his type of cancer. This enables him to identify with all cancer patients, rather than seeing media attention focussed on one specific form of the illness. He has also been determined to continue with life as normal, which demonstrates that a cancer diagnosis should not mean an end to routine activities.

And through her various treatment videos, Kate Middleton has shared her journey from cancer diagnosis to remission highlighting the value of hope, family and compassion for the wider community of cancer patients. She, too, has maintained a degree of personal privacy while emphasising the message that the cancer treatment journey may be personal, but it does not need to be lonely.

The simple truth is that the NHS is now diagnosing cancer earlier, treating it sooner and delivering better outcomes. A cancer diagnosis is no longer the death sentence it once was.

And new treatments are emerging all the time.  A case in point is the recent introduction of the first stereotactic ablative radiotherapy clinic in Wales, at Swansea’s Singleton Hospital.  It sounds revolutionary, and it is.  This form of radiotherapy is precise, intense and highly targeted.  It means fewer treatment sessions and fewer side effects, and that’s very good news for patients in South Wales.

So, what are the wider communication lessons that emerge from all this work on communicating bad news?

First, positive communication is generally better than negative communication, so “Do this because…” rather than “Don’t do this in case…”.  Body language and visual clues are also an important part of communication, while the communication of unwelcome news should be thought of as a process rather than a single event. Finally – and this should come as no surprise – user-friendly language beats jargon and management-speak every time!

This column appeared in the Western Mail on 15 June 2026 and was written by our Executive Director, John Underwood.