Petition Healthcare staff should be assessed on their ability to empathise & understand patients’ point of view, circumstances, situation, medical condition

Commission on Dignity in Care recently advised HMG that healthcare staff should be recruited for their caring values, not only qualifications. Many carers do not (or have the required skills to) understand or know of the importance to mentally empathise & to express empathy with the patients from their point of view & circumstances. Carers can sometimes appear to be aloft, uncaring, unsympathetic, rude, seek to work in a way that incurs less work & inconvenience for themselves (rather patients’ comfort, best interests & dignity); as well as appear to be constantly seeking self-gratification (like self-esteem, frequent breaks, having frivolous titter tater with colleagues). Attribution of a patient’s physical & mental disabilities/condition can range from looking sympathetically at the patient’s unique idiosyncratic circumstances, culture to being unsympathetic & uncaring. Also record keeping should be more proactive, e.g. whether or not a patient still on ‘nil by mouth’ at meal times.