“More than kindness”

Abstract

Recent high profile cases in the UK have all too often demonstrated care which lacked compassion or dignity, although this is far from being a new phenomenon There needs to be understanding as to why people in the “caring professions” cease to demonstrate care. Compassion fatigue through overwork and excessive demand, and lack of continuity leading to a failure to see the patient as a full human being may all play a part. Support for staff and colleagues is something that everyone working in healthcare can contribute to, and compassionate leaders create compassionate organisations. Compassion is not an optional extra, but far too frequently it is seen as being much less important than other aspects of care. There is extraordinary potential for blending the best of evidence-based medicine with real patient centredness, performing medicine with patients rather than doing it to them, to the benefit of all