Compassion debate :nature or nurture & why it’s worth considering the bigger picture before rushing to “fix” the NHS through more rules & regulations

Compassion in NHS is big news this week. The Francis report is out, and all branches of healthcare are considering its implications. This article discusses the fragility of compassion once the environment becomes stressful. When resources ( time, nurses, cleaning staff, etc ) are in short supply then group survival mechanisms kick in.

Article from Health & Social Care journal discussing compassion in NHS. Please read the comments at the end of the piece by the Professors

It’s the old nature vs nurture debate, and it had its routes in the biological evolution of societies and culture. Tribes of people & staff develop ways of differentiating themselves from the people who are not in their tribe. This is done through words (jargon & abbreviations), appearance (uniforms), and rules or regulations which may not be obvious to the uninitiated.