Compassion is but one emotion or perhaps character or virtue that is thought to be crucial for excellent care and is politically and professionally to the fore in both policy and codes of conduct. However, by itself it is fragile especially under certain organisational conditions. Thus it is very important that students of healthcare and service users understand both the need for compassion and the difficulties of its expression especially in an acute NHS organisational setting. This project is innovative in that will bring together speakers from a variety of relevant disciplines as well as service users and professionals to explore these issues and provide some strategies for practice. This will be of benefit both to students of healthcare and to service users perhaps by setting realistic and researched based goals. The project supports the University's goals of providing high quality and distinctive experience and engagement for students, our practice partners and the public.

Timetable for the day is available on the University of Birmingham website.