Prince Charles: Doctors must have Care and Compassion!

[kestrelx]

Prince Charles has said this about Doctors - he's so right!

'Doctors must learn care and compassion': Prince Charles claims modern medicine is putting the 'human touch' at risk | Mail Online

[Less]

Doctors have always had compassion...

So long as you can afford it.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I worked with Doctors over many years.......some of them could empathise with their patients,others couldn't....and I doubt very much that compassion can be taught...care can be taught, but not compassion - but, that is just my opinion.

[flashy]

having been admitted to hospital myself this week and having seen quite a few doctors i would say yes, the majority of them do have compassion and seem to care

[Michael1954]

Since mum's stroke, I have had a lot of dealings with the NHS over the last four years. Mum has been shown compassion by all who treat her, especially the team at the Anti-coagulant Unit at RBH. The poll is a no-brainer. Who is going to vote No?

[Less]

Originally Posted by Michael1954

Since mum's stroke, I have had a lot of dealings with the NHS over the last four years. Mum has been shown compassion by all who treat her, especially the team at the Anti-coagulant Unit at RBH. The poll is a no-brainer. Who is going to vote No?

Glad your Mum is getting care, but it's only one of his no brainer polls anyway, who's gonna vote?

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I worked with Doctors over many years.......some of them could empathise with their patients,others couldn't....and I doubt very much that compassion can be taught...care can be taught, but not compassion - but, that is just my opinion.

Agree with you Margaret going on my experience of the NHS over the past year. Compassion is either in your nature or not - shouldn't stop someone being a good doctor though.

Can't fault any of the care I have received and for me that is enough. I'm not over fond of too much touchy feely stuff if compassion comes into that category. Prefer straight talking myself with a little bit of empathy thrown in where appropriate - which is what I have experienced.

[Less]

Ask Jaysay, he's been there and can surely give a candid report on what goes on.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Compassion does not have to be touchy feely stuff..it is really about asking what the person who is being treated would like......in a professional way, and taking cues from the patient....which are not always verbal.
You can usually tell those who don't want the touchy feely approach, but there is a vast difference between telling it like it is, and being blunt to the point of tactless.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Compassion does not have to be touchy feely stuff..it is really about asking what the person who is being treated would like......in a professional way, and taking cues from the patient....which are not always verbal.
You can usually tell those who don't want the touchy feely approach, but there is a vast difference between telling it like it is, and being blunt to the point of tactless.

Well in that case compassion has always been there for me - I take your point as a professional. Just wish there was another word for it - I'm afraid for me it evokes religious connotations - which I know is not in any dictionary definitions.

[Less]

Originally Posted by susie123

Well in that case compassion has always been there for me - I take your point as a professional. Just wish there was another word for it - I'm afraid for me it evokes religious connotations - which I know is not in any dictionary definitions.

Never considered compassion as religious, if it was, it would probably kill the patient.
My kick on that is, trying a little extra to make someone more comfortable with their problem, not giving up on them, no matter how hopeless they or the condition is.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Less

Never considered compassion as religious, if it was, it would probably kill the patient.
My kick on that is, trying a little extra to make someone more comfortable with their problem, not giving up on them, no matter how hopeless they or the condition is.

Some interesting views here on what is a more complex subject than at first appears.

The religious association for me Less comes about because many Christian and other faith organistions use the word in their titles but obviously that's not to say they have hi jacked it - it just seems that way to me sometimes.

Compassion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I like the quote:

“Greek and Roman philosophers distrusted (feeling) compassion. In their view, reason alone was the proper guide to conduct. They regarded compassion (a virtue) as an affect, neither admirable nor contemptible.” Thomas Szasz from his book "Cruel Compassion"

Maybe I just have a heart of stone?

I'm also thinking about Margaret's blog the other day about the young man she took pity on in Bury. I could never ever do that. My thoughts I'm afraid run along the lines of: How do you know he's homeless and will be on the streets on Christmas Day? Some people, maybe only a very few but it does happen, spend their days like that young man and then disappear to somewhere else at night. And where do you stop if you give to every beggar etc on the street? Yes I know we are more fortunate than others and most unfortunates are genuine but I just can't get involved. There you are, I do have a heart of stone. Still doesn't stop me giving to homeless charity at Christmas though as we did last year - annual donation to different charity each year in lieu of gifts etc.

Sorry drifted off the doctors theme a bit but just trying to put my views over.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I don't think your stance makes you heartless Sue. I also give to four charities on a regular basis.
And I think that modern life has made us very very cynical and suspicious.
During my career I met men of all ages(that sounds really bad doesn't it?) who slept rough...had nowhere.
This young man looked like them

He was was lying there at 9.30 in the morning...he didn't look as though he had been anywhere else during that day....his quilt was thin and wet from the floor of the underpass, and the damp from the tiled walls.
I took him on face value....and thought about how I would feel if it were me.(or someone I cared about)
I know I cannot help every beggar(and by the way - he wasn't begging...he was asking for nothing) but if I can offer some kindness/help(however fleeting) to just one person I meet, for no other reason than the fact that I can do it...and it takes nothing at all from me that I need.
Your question about helping every beggar makes me think of the man walking along the beach where hundreds of star fish had been washed ashore - likely to die.
He was picking them up and putting them back in the sea.
Someone said to him 'you can't help them all' just as he was putting one back...he said 'No, but I helped that one'...it is the same principle.

Who knows if at some point in the future I am in need of help and support of some description, and it is offered to me....Karma! What goes around comes around.

Different strokes for different folks.
And now I have drifted even further from the debate on doctors.
Compassion isn't religious, it is just wanting to make a difference to the life of another human being by offering a kindness(in whatever form is necessary).

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Different strokes for different folks.
And now I have drifted even further from the debate on doctors.
Compassion isn't religious, it is just wanting to make a difference to the life of another human being by offering a kindness(in whatever form is necessary).

I know it's not about religion... I just can't help make the connection with something I feel strongly about.

And I think your word kindness is a very good one to use... much less emotive to me than compassion. And I like to think that I am a kind person - in my own way.

[Margaret Pilkington]

circumstances make us what we are Sue.
Kindness comes in a variety of shades.