Hospital wards filled with Father Jacks and Hasselhoffs

IT could be boredom or maybe they have been watching too much television, but health professionals have begun to adopt a new phrase to describe a certain type of awkward patient — a “Father Jack”.

The foul-mouthed, drunken priest from Father Ted — who would sit in the corner shouting “drink!” “feck!” “arse!” — has proved an inspiration in the wards, according to the British Medical Journal.

Writing in the magazine, consultant Paul Keely, who works in the Department of Palliative Medicine at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, says doctors use the term “Father Jack” to describe “the confused, usually elderly patient whose constant high-pitched” outbursts and “attempts to get out of bed are responsible for insomnia on the wards”.