Kindness in regulation - An oxymoron or an idea whose time has come

For some years now, the concept of an increased focus on kindness in healthcare has been an emerging trend. It began with a patient-centered lens but has since spread to include kindness within and among health practitioners themselves, with discussions often focused on staff wellbeing and improved staff culture. But what about regulation and the role of kindness in health practitioner regulation? There is growing evidence that health practitioners worldwide experience very high stress and distress when involved in a regulatory process. Is there a place for increasing the focus on kindness? If so, can this be achieved without sacrificing patient safety which is, after all, the fundamental aim of health practitioner regulation? In this webinar, Dr Valerie Braithwaite, Dr Anna van der Gaag and Susan Biggar consider the power of kindness to improve practitioner health and wellbeing alongside the challenges of balancing this against accountability in healthcare regulation.

Originally presented: December 2022