Too often, maternity tragedies have something in common: women raised concerns but weren't listened to. Empathy isn't just kindness. It's essential to patient safety. We need empathic systems, not just empathic staff. My latest @ConversationUK article: theconversation.com/empathy-… #Empathy #MaternityCare #PatientSafety

Check out my latest article: We Need a Better Way to Measure Empathy in Healthcare — So We Built One linkedin.com/pulse/we-need-b… via @LinkedIn

As AI gets better, does empathy matter MORE—not less? Excellent piece in @timeshighered arguing that universities mustn't neglect the human capabilities technology can't replace. This resonates strongly with our work @Empathy_Centre: empathy can be taught, practised & supported—and we're now extending our training into education. The future isn't AI vs empathy. We need both. Article: timeshighereducation.com/cam… Our courses: le.ac.uk/empathy/study @UniofLeicester @LeMedSchool @UCSDCompassion #Empathy #AI #HigherEducation #Education #Empathic

Empathy pays Delighted to have a new article published by @TheEconomist 's Economist Enterprise. Our research suggests more empathic healthcare organisations mean: ❤️ Safer patients 👥 Healthier staff 💷 Lower costs Empathy isn't just an ethical aspiration. It's a financial strategy. Thanks to @a_bennettweston & Jason Oke for collaborating on the underlying research and to @E_Sukkar at The Economist! insights.economistenterprise… @Empathy_Centre @UniofLeicester @LeMedSchool @NIHRresearch @NIHRARCs @UCSDCompassion #DoctorYou #Empathy #Empathic #compassion #communication #evidencebasedmedicine

What does empathic leadership actually look like? Delighted to contribute to @Forbes on how leaders can become more empathic in @SallyPercy's new article. Some remarkably simple leadership heuristics: 👂 Listen first, speak last 🚶 Walk the shop floor 💬 Be vulnerable Empathy isn't just about being "nice"—it's a practical leadership skill. forbes.com/sites/sallypercy/… @Empathy_Centre @UniofLeicester @LeMedSchool @UCSDCompassion @Speakers_bureau @ChampSpeakers #Empathy #Empathic #compassion #communication #evidencebasedmedicine

SYSTEM BARRIERS TO EMPATHY We've spent decades teaching clinicians to be more empathic. But what if the biggest barrier isn't the clinician—it's the system? Our research programme on #SystemEmpathy suggests that organisations can either enable or suppress empathy. Over four studies we've: 🔹 Developed the first conceptual framework 🔹 Identified practical system-level solutions 🔹 Demonstrated implementation in an NHS Emergency Department 🔹 Developed the first System Empathy Index, linking higher system empathy with better patient safety, healthier staff, and lower spending on temporary staffing and consultancy. Read more: Framework: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3843… Empirical study: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3521… Implementation: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4183… Index: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.… If these findings continue to hold up, the future of empathy may depend less on changing people—and more on changing the systems in which they work. Please share if you think healthcare should become easier to deliver with empathy. @uniofleicester @UHLNHS @NIHRresearch #Healthcare #PatientSafety #NHS #Leadership

Some readers have interpreted my article as arguing against inquiries into maternity failures. That isn't my view. Reviews and transparency are essential. My point is that when multiple reviews identify similar recommendations, we owe it to families to implement them quickly. Families deserve both accountability and action.

How many more maternity reviews do we need before we start acting? The latest Donna Ockenden report repeats many of the same failings identified over the past decade: women not being listened to, poor leadership, and failures to learn. My latest @ConversationUK article argues we don't need more reports—we need action. theconversation.com/maternit… @Empathy_Centre @OxEmCare @UniofLeicester @LeMedSchool @NIHRresearch @NIHRARCs @UCSDCompassion @a_bennettweston #Empathy #Empathic #compassion #communication #evidencebasedmedicine #patient #safety #medicalschool