Final Report > Chapter 23: Respect and Honesty > Communication skills: overcoming the barriers to effective communication > Humanity

Humanity

33 We were told by participants in both Phases of the Inquiry that patients often expect the doctor to be touched by their plight. They do not feel that it is professionally inappropriate for the doctor to be uncomfortable or to be visibly moved by what he or she is trying to say. It is obvious to us, therefore, that the ability to communicate on a number of levels, in a variety of situations, with people who feel both vulnerable and anxious should be regarded as one of the most fundamental and essential of the healthcare professional's responsibilities. This point was made forcefully by the Bristol Heart Children Action Group in its submission to Phase Two:

`The [medical] profession are removed from the needs of the users on an emotional level and because of the very difficult job they do, communication often only stays at a clinical level ... The patient needs to be listened to in whatever form they express themselves ... Gone are the days where the patient needs to be protected by the profession. Far more account should be taken about what patients want and feel they need to know ...' [28]

Footnotes

[28] Seminar 7. Bristol Heart Children Action Group. Position Paper