Imagine you are very late home. And I mean late.

You creep up the stairs at 3 am, placing your feet carefully at the extreme edge of each step missing that third creaky step. You push the bedroom door open and pad gently across the floor.

Forget brushing your teeth, way too noisy. You can flush in the morning.

As you remove your trousers too late you remember the coins in the back pocket. As they crash to the wooden floor your other half springs into action. 

"What the hell time do you call this?" and "Where on earth have you been?"

"Very good questions dear, I'll tell you in the morning" is your reply.

Information is sent by us to the other party regardless of whether we actually answer the questions they pose or not. Sometimes clarity even with bad news may be better than leaving the other side to imagine their own scenario.

The furor surrounding the British NHS last week was exacerbated around the apparent hypocrisy in how and if information should be shared. On one hand the government minister responsible Jeremy Hunt, called for an environment of openness and trust.

On the other, NHS senior officials claim they had been forced from their positions and made to sign 'gagging orders' preventing them from exposing the lack of care, stringent targets and budget restrictions have created in many of Britain's hospitals.

The previous pride of Britain, deified by Danny Boyle at the start of the Olympics last year, it seems the NHS has hit very bad times indeed.

Being open about it may just help to sort it out.

Creating a culture of secrecy and confusion may send a very dangerous message indeed.

Alan Smith