Take a few moments and watch this short video clip (about 7 minutes).
It’s the last part of Sir Harry Burns, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer’s excellent address to the NHS Scotland Conference 2011.
In this part of his talk, he eloquently makes a strong case for the central importance of compassion in health care.
You can see his whole talk, and download his powerpoint slides here
Heroes Not Zombies 
As a patient it strikes me as most odd that any health professional would not consider compassion to be at the very heart of practising medicine. Pity it needs to be ‘taught’!
well, the truth is we live in a very mechanised, and even de-humanised society – including the practice of medicine, which sadly, frequently removes the subject of the person to be cared for and replaces him or her with the objects of the diseased organs or tissues.
Not only is compassion NOT at the heart of practising medicine, but it’s quite remarkable that the leading medic in Scotland would say its what is needed more than anything else.
I’m glad he said it.
It can’t be said enough
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2011/apr/27/simon-baron-cohen-empathy-evil
Some interesting observations here especially relating to RCN guidelines for university education . Why the obsession with maths, physics and chemistry at A level for nursing entrance?
Its the systems approach to care that often creates problems . The models are based on acute diagnostic categories which have little bearing on the reality in modern health care practices (particularly primary care). I do think this does have an effect on how people subsequently get treated. Even at a bottom line level (i.e costs) most litigation seems to be inspired by lack of care and empathy as much as the procedures going wrong .
I think all managers and health educators should read Iain McGilchrist or have an understanding of the principles ………
May I suggest a further resource to learn more about empathy and compassion.
The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy
The Culture of Empathy website is the largest internet portal for resources and information about the values of empathy and compassion. It contains articles, conferences, definitions, experts, history, interviews, videos, science and much more about empathy and compassion.
http://CultureOfEmpathy.com
I posted a link to your article about empathy to our Empathy Center Facebook page.
http://Facebook.com/EmpathyCenter
I posted a link to your article in our
Empathy and Compassion Magazine
Health Care section
The latest news about empathy and compassion from around the world
http://bit.ly/dSXjfF
Warmly,
Edwin
Dear Dr. Harry Burns
I do not know how to thank you for delivering this amazing talk. Compassion is the main ingredient that is missing in the health care systems . Iam so glad that you have brought public attention to this important fact. In preventive health or curative health without compassion added to the healing work healers work is half done .
We depend on so Called Health Insuarance policies to take care of our health The policies Policy is ‘not to pay’ try to deny paying. So the patients are at the mercy of doctors who can treat them at least with compassion and assurance
with loving words untill Gods grace dawn on the real healing.
Thank you very much doctor Burns
[…] Harry Burns, the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, highlighted in a brilliant presentation earlier this year the key importance of early years in determining future health and health […]
A very fine talk and so needed in our present time in medicine.