Guarding against dispassion for doctors in the NHS

Compassion has always been a vital component of healthcare anywhere in the world. With numerous definitions in a variety of contexts, it cannot simply be prescribed, measured or given in a bottle. When our patients are ill, great attention is paid to the verbal and non-verbal communication presented by a doctor and the manner in which they are delivered. However, with an ever-growing demand on the NHS workforce, numerous patient surveys across the UK have accused doctors for lacking compassion in their practice, amid the strains of their modern-day commitments. The concept of being caring to our patients is highlighted from the first walks of medical school or indeed any healthcare professional’s training programme, meaning that patients will always be our prime audience for compassion. Yet, so often in medical training, it is emphasised how important it is to demonstrate a personal detachment between oneself and the patient and not to get too emotionally involved. So despite numerous challenges, how do we find the correct balance to optimise our day-to-day service and stay sensitive to the needs of our patients? This article reflects upon compassion from multiple perspectives in the NHS pertinent to doctors of all settings and experience levels, exploring the barriers, internal conflicts and facilitators of its delivery. We examine the objective evidence of measures that have been put in place to overcome these challenges and summarise key considerations to optimise the enablement of a workforce to deliver compassion at universally higher standards in future practice.