Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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University Research – Racial discrimination escalating in Aotearoa – report – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

A shadow report for the UN warns racial discrimination is worsening.

A significant, ideologically driven attack on Māori rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and racial equity is occurring in Aotearoa New Zealand, according to the co-authors of a shadow report for the UN.

The report, written by members of the Aotearoa Centre for Indigenous Peoples and the Law (Te Wai Ariki), will inform the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Te Wai Ariki co-director Professor Claire Charters (University of Auckland Law School) says the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has repeatedly found that constitutional transformation is needed in New Zealand to achieve equality for Māori.

She says the report will inform New Zealand’s 23rd and 24th periodic UN reviews, scheduled for November 2025.

The breaches of Māori rights by this Government are profound, says Charters:
“They include an egregious abuse of its power to deliberately, explicitly, and brazenly trample on our rights under Te Tiriti and international law. It will undoubtedly be of concern to the Committee that the Government can do so with impunity, given the lack of constitutional protections of Māori rights.”

Te Wai Ariki’s submission argues that the current Coalition Government’s policies negatively impact Māori rights and remove certain protections. It states: “the Government is actively and profoundly aggravating New Zealand’s constitutionally racist foundation in a way we have not seen for at least half a century.”
It calls for constitutional transformation, not incremental reform, “to protect Māori tino rangatiratanga and prevent further legislative breaches of human rights”.

The report warns that “without transformation, Parliament remains unchecked and continues to pass laws in breach of Indigenous peoples’ rights.”

It also says the Government has been openly hostile to UN oversight, pointing to Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour’s controversial response to the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples in July 2025.

Two other reports – submitted by the People’s Action Plan Against Racism in Aotearoa (PAPARA), Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa (the Māori Law Society) will also inform the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Across all three reports, the organisations highlight legislative and policy reforms by the Government that they say breach New Zealand’s obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Te Hunga Rōia Māori describe the reforms as a “scorched-earth approach” to law and policy that has “systematically targeted Māori-specific policies, institutions and rights across health, justice, education, and the environment.”

In particular, their report cites the repeal of section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act (removing statutory obligations to support Māori children in state care), the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), and the introduction of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Amendment Bill, which would alter legal recognition of customary marine title.

The People’s Action Plan Against Racism in Aotearoa, supported by the National Iwi Chairs Forum, describes the current situation as “a coordinated campaign of Treaty racism”.
Collectively, the reports ask the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to:

  • Record that the 54th Government’s reforms are racially discriminatory and in breach of ICERD;
  • Reaffirm the constitutional status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal;
  • Recommend an independent investigation into racial discrimination and legislative harm in Aotearoa;
  • Urge constitutional transformation consistent with Matike Mai Aotearoa; 
  • Establish enhanced UN monitoring and in-country consultations with Māori and affected communities.
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University Research – Modern Slavery in Aotearoa New Zealand – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

Modern slavery isn’t a distant problem – it’s happening here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It’s embedded in supply chains both domestically and internationally, exposing New Zealand companies to significant reputational and ethical risks. More than 250 New Zealand-headquartered companies appear on Australia’s Modern Slavery Register, but two private members’ bills proposing modern slavery legislation for New Zealand are still sitting in Parliament’s “biscuit tin”.

Introducing modern slavery legislation would align New Zealand with key trading partners—Australia and the United Kingdom—both of which have enacted modern slavery laws.

To explore the situation in Aotearoa and what needs to change, the University of Auckland Business School’s research centre, Juncture: Dialogues on Inclusive Capitalism, is hosting a panel event on Modern Slavery in Aotearoa New Zealand on Thursday, 30 October.

The discussion will examine the scope and complexity of modern slavery, review Australia’s legislative approach, consider the potential for similar laws in New Zealand, and discuss the practical implications for businesses and their supply chains.

Panellists include Professor John Dumay (Macquarie University, Sydney), Associate Professor Christina Stringer (University of Auckland), Rebekah Armstrong (Head of Advocacy and Justice at World Vision New Zealand), Sharleen Gargiulo (Sustainability Lead at Air New Zealand), and Oliver Christeller (Senior Human Rights Advisor, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission) with Professor Christine Woods (University of Auckland) facilitating the discussion.
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Government fee change hits NZ’s poorest citizens – IHC

Source: IHC

People with intellectual disability are facing yet another financial blow following changes to the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act that remove a government subsidy for court-mandated financial examinations.

From 3 October 2024, the Public Trust began charging $247.27 per hour to review property managers’ annual financial statements – a process that ensures a person’s money is being properly managed. Previously, those with less than $20,000 in assets were protected from these costs by a government subsidy. That protection has now been taken away.

“Removing the subsidy is effectively charging people for being poor and disabled. It’s not right,” said Tania Thomas, IHC Director of Advocacy. “These are not people with savings or assets – many live week to week.”

The new fee applies to the person under protection in many cases, an intellectually disabled person living on a benefit. Public Trust has confirmed that fees cannot be waived.

“These fees are being charged to people who often have nothing to spare,” said Tania. “They are some of the most financially vulnerable people in New Zealand – yet they’re now being asked to pay for a safeguard that exists to protect them. It’s deeply unfair.”

People with intellectual disability already experience some of the highest rates of hardship in the country:

They are twice as likely to live in hardship before age 40, and three times as likely between 40 and 64, compared to others.
Nearly half would not be able to pay an unavoidable bill within a month without borrowing.
They are four times more likely to go without a proper meal, and three times more likely to cut back on fruit and vegetables because of cost.
Many go cold in winter because they cannot afford heating, and almost half can’t afford a holiday.

IHC is urging the Government to reinstate the subsidy or introduce a hardship exemption so that people with intellectual disability are not left paying for a process that was designed to keep them safe.

About IHC New Zealand

IHC New Zealand advocates for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with intellectual disabilities and supports them to live satisfying lives in the community. IHC provides advocacy, volunteering, events, membership associations and fundraising. It is part of the IHC Group, which also includes IDEA Services, Choices NZ and Accessible Properties.

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Tax Reform – Labour’s CGT welcomed, but ‘unambitious’ – Tax reform advocates

Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa (TJA)

Tax Justice Aotearoa (TJA) and the Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign  have expressed their disappointment with the narrow Capital Gains Tax Labour announced this morning, describing it as 'unambitious' at a time that calls for more, but welcomed Labour's commitment to a CGT.

“Tax Justice Aotearoa  and the Better Taxes campaign, along with numerous public opinion polls and expert commentators, have supported a CGT because it has the promise to deliver real benefits for New Zealand”, says Glenn Barclay, Tax Justice Aotearoa and Better Taxes spokesperson. “But it really has to be as comprehensive as possible to deliver long-term and meaningful change. Labour's policy represents a first step, but it doesn't yet look like it will deliver on the potential benefits to New Zealanders of a comprehensive CGT.”

“We have a good understanding of the challenges facing the country and both the Treasury and Inland Revenue have recently produced reports that demonstrate that we will have trouble addressing these challenges unless we raise substantially more tax revenue,” says Glenn Barclay. “In light of all of this we can only describe Labour's policy as 'unambitious'.”

“Labour's policy should help provide some balance to the property market and it is good to see them prioritising GP visits with the limited funds that this tax is likely to generate, but much more is needed to address other issues in the health system, including staffing and capital investment. And while health is a major issue facing the country, we also need to better fund our education system, respond effectively to climate change, address poverty and inequality, and more to meet the needs of our ageing population”, says Glenn Barclay.

In 2023 IRD conducted research that demonstrated that the wealthiest 311 families in New Zealand had an effective tax rate of 9.4% compared to just over 20% for the average New Zealander. Untaxed income from capital gains was a big part of the ultra wealthy families' low tax rate This tax policy will have only the lightest impact on addressing that discrepancy.

“This policy will still leave us as an outlier internationally, where most countries in the OECD have a comprehensive CGT. A comprehensive CGT is a common sense way to gather resources we need, address inequality in our tax system and improve housing affordability.  We think that Labour should  go further so it can deliver for New Zealanders,” says Glenn Barclay.

“The policy does represent a small step towards a fairer tax system and give us something to build on, including  supplementing the CGT with other tax changes that would improve outcomes for New Zealanders,” says Glenn Barclay.

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Health – Aged Care Association welcomes cross-party commitment to aged care reform

Source: New Zealand Aged Care Association (ACA)

The New Zealand Aged Care Association (ACA) warmly welcomes today’s announcement by Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello of a Ministerial Advisory Group to design a sustainable, fit-for-purpose aged care system.

Chief Executive Hon Tracey Martin said the announcement marks an important moment of national cooperation on one of the most pressing social challenges facing New Zealand.

“This is a truly positive step — not just for the aged care sector, but for all New Zealanders who want to see a strong, fair and enduring system of care for our older population,” Ms Martin said.  “It signals a commitment to long-term, bipartisan reform — something the Association has been calling for over the past 18 months.  We are genuinely encouraged to see that call being answered.”

Ms Martin said the establishment of the Advisory Group provides an unprecedented opportunity for cross-party collaboration and evidence-based policy development.

“For the past 18 months, we’ve asked for the chance to genuinely participate in designing a system that is stable, sustainable, and investable — one that ensures we have the capacity to care for the rapidly growing number of older Kiwis who will need support in the very near future,” she said.  “We commend Ministers Brown and Costello for their leadership and welcome the Government’s intention to bring all parties together around lasting solutions. The ACA stands ready and willing to assist the Advisory Group in any way that will help deliver those outcomes.”

While the Advisory Group’s work will shape long-term reform, Ms Martin noted that its timeline means recommendations will not be available in time to inform the 2026/27 Budget.

“Ministers Brown and Costello understand what is needed to steady the sector in the short term while the Advisory Group develops its proposals,” she said. “We would urge Finance Minister Willis to invite them to bring forward a Budget bid that delivers the immediate support required to give providers confidence and continuity while the longer-term reforms are being developed.”

Practical short-term measures would enable providers to take a more active role in, for example, supporting older New Zealanders to recover after hospitalisation — particularly those aged over 65 who are well enough to leave acute care but not yet ready to return home. By funding short-stay recovery placements in aged residential care, hospitals could free up beds sooner while ensuring older people receive the right care and rehabilitation to regain their independence and safely return home. “Such initiatives would make a tangible difference while the Advisory Group undertakes its important work,” Ms Martin said.  “We are committed to working alongside Ministers, officials, and the Advisory Group to help design an aged care system that is equitable, sustainable, and truly built to last.”

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Banking – ASB doubles down on social and affordable housing commitment with $1billion Accelerated Housing Fund

Source: ASB

The Accelerated Housing Fund will now be on track to deliver thousands more homes with a doubled fund of $1 billion.

ASB is announcing an expansion of its Accelerated Housing Fund to $1 billion from $500 million. By doubling its commitment to accelerate housing delivery where it’s most needed, the change reinforces ASB’s position as a champion for social and affordable housing in New Zealand.

Since its inception in November 2023, the Fund has committed $420m of lending supporting the delivery of and long-term investment into over 1000 new homes, demonstrating the bank’s commitment to enabling a wide range of housing solutions across the country.

ASB is further reducing presale requirements for affordable housing, making the fund more accessible to a wider range of housing developments.

“We are intent on helping more New Zealanders into homes, and part of that is being an enabler of new housing development and investment through all stages of the economic cycle,” says Ben Speedy ASB’s General Manager of Commercial Banking and Business Strategy.

“We have a role to play in addressing housing supply by supporting Kiwi businesses and not-for-profits who have the solutions New Zealand needs. With the expanded fund we’ve evolved the way we lend, making it easier for social and affordable housing projects right across the continuum to get off the ground, sooner”

“The expansion of our Accelerated Housing Fund aligns with the Government’s recent announcement of the Community Housing Provider Loan Guarantee scheme. We see this as an important step in supporting the community housing sector to deliver more homes for New Zealanders.”  says Ben Speedy.

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Weather News – NEMA urges vigilance ahead of Labour Day storms

Source: National Emergency Management Agency

The National Emergency Management Agency is urging the public to be extra vigilant ahead of more severe weather forecast for many parts of the country on Labour Day.

NEMA Chief Executive Dave Gawn says MetService has issued weather warnings for multiple regions, and NEMA is urging the public to take care on the roads when returning home from long weekend breaks.

“MetService have issued warnings for rain, wind and snow, and it’s essential that people factor these into their travel plans.  Plan your journeys, pack extra supplies in case you get stranded, and if it’s looking really hairy, consider delaying your travel if you can.

“Check for closures before you hit the road, be on the lookout for slips and debris, and never drive through floodwater”

Dave Gawn says many communities are still picking up the pieces after Thursday’s storms and forecast severe weather will be a setback to cleanup efforts.

He says excellent progress has been made in impacted regions, with power being progressively restored and critical communications and other services coming back online.

“I want to acknowledge the impact the recent severe weather has had on our communities, and recognise the massive efforts of everyone involved.”

Mr Gawn says councils, Civil Defence, emergency services and government agencies throughout the country are working together to coordinate resources and support the locally-led response efforts.

NEMA has stood up the National Crisis Management Centre in the Beehive to assist with response and recovery efforts, and to be ready to respond to any impacts arising tomorrow. NEMA has worked with partner agencies and CDEM Groups to surge personnel in to provide support to Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group and Clutha District, and to source and move generators into those areas to be prioritised for critical needs.

Mr Gawn says NEMA is currently working with central government agencies and CDEM Groups from impacted regions to identify what support will be required for the initial recovery period, including for the rural sector.

More information:

 

Get ready for the bad weather:

  • Stay up to date with the latest weather information from MetService.
  • Listen to advice provided by your local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and emergency services and follow any instructions. Put safety first. Don’t take any chances.
  • There are still multiple road closures across impacted regions. If you have to travel, check road conditions before you go. For state highway closures, visitwww.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions 
  • If your property has been damaged, contact your insurance company. They will help you with claims and what you need to do next.
  • Check on neighbours, especially those who may be elderly, isolated, or without communications.
  • If you see a fallen power line, always treat it as if it’s live, and do not attempt to clear any debris lying next to a fallen power line.
  • If life, health or property is in danger, call 111 immediately.
  • For more advice on preparing for severe weather, check out Storms — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand

If you have no power

  • Turn off all appliances including cookers and heaters so that when power comes back on, you reduce the risk of a fire from unattended cooking, or flammable items left close to heaters.
  • Use torches rather than candles if possible. If you must use candles, keep them away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave a candle burning in an empty room
  • If you are using camp cookers or alternative forms of heating, always make sure they are on a stable surface. Do not use outdoor cooking or heating equipment inside.
  • If your mobile phone says you have no network connection you may still be able to ring 111. Even if your phone says you have no service, try the call.
  • You may be able to charge your phone with your car’s battery using a car charger.
  • If you no longer have access to a phone, a solar- or battery-powered radio or your car radio can help you keep up to date with the latest news and alerts.
  • RNZ is running extended bulletins at 7am, 12pm and 5pm providing local updates for people in Southland and Clutha without power.
  • If you use a portable generator, it must be located in a well-ventilated place. The generator must never be used in an indoor space where people are present; this includes areas such as an internal garage. Using portable generators after a natural event or emergency | WorkSafe
  • Avoid getting sick from unsafe food:
    • Eat foods that will expire soon first – such as bread, meat, salads, and dairy products. These spoil more quickly than non-perishable food.
    • Eat canned and non-perishable pantry foods last.
    • Open your fridge and freezer as little as possible to help keep it cooler for longer. Leave already frozen food in the freezer if possible. Freezers will remain colder for longer if they are full (2–4 days) than if they are half full (1–2 days).

Where people can get support

  • Southland: People with immediate needs can call Emergency Management Southland on 0800 809 127 between 8am and 9pm.
  • Clutha District: If people need water or don’t have power or wifi they can contact Clutha District Council on 0800 801 350. Drop-in centres are also being established in isolated communities to provide power, internet access, and connection to support services. Details are provided at www.cluthadc.govt.nz

Support for farmers

  • If you have questions or concerns about animal welfare emergency management phone MPI on 0800 00 83 33.
  • Farmers and growers who require support are encouraged to contact their local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.
  • Resources are also available at FarmStrong: farmstrong.co.nz
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Advocacy – PSNA says Israeli Deputy Minister ‘sneaking into NZ’ this weekend while Israel resumes its genocide in Gaza

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – PSNA

It seems clear from media reports that Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskell is visiting Auckland this weekend as part of a trip to strengthen ties with New Zealand and other Pacific countries.
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-chair Maher Nazal says he would expect Foreign Minister Winston Peters to have had, or will be having, a secret meeting with Haskell.
“Haskell wouldn’t come to New Zealand unless she was having a meeting with
Peters. Otherwise, it would be a diplomatic snub. Haskell wouldn’t tolerate that, and Peters is most unlikely to snub Israel,” Nazzal says.
“But if he’s turned her down, we’d love to hear about it.”
“The visit is despite Haskell recently mocking Prime Minister, Chris Luxon, with some sarcastic comments that New Zealand’s worst enemies were cats and possums, when Luxon said her boss Benjamin Netanyahu had ‘lost the plot’.
“The trip is a ‘thank you’ visit for New Zealand refusing to recognise Palestine. Haskell had appointments with the governments of Fiji and Papua New Guinea earlier this week.”
“They are the only two countries in the world, other than the United States, which both voted in the United Nations last year against requiring Israel to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and also have an embassy in Jerusalem. They are the greatest fans of Israel outside the United States.”
“Haskell is an agent of Israeli cruelty and depravity, and she has no legitimate
business here. Right now, Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war against
Palestinians and withholding New Zealand aid from the people of Gaza.
“Why would we put out the welcome mat for a representative of such a monstrous regime?” asks Nazzal.

 

“Haskell was recently interviewed by genocide-denier Sean Plunket on his radio show The Platform and said she’d like to visit New Zealand, saying, “We want to thank the New Zealand government for its support over the last two years.”

“That says it all. New Zealand has stood resolutely with a racist, apartheid regime, as it continues to commit genocide against the Palestinian people – two years and counting,” says Nazzal.

“Giving comfort and solace to a regime committing genocide is unconscionable.”
“We are sure the government has told Haskell to keep her visit quiet, because they will be embarrassed at her praise. But the Auckland Chamber of Commerce is happy to welcome her, given its public enthusiasm for extending New Zealand’s economic relations with apartheid-genocide Israel.”
Maher Nazzal
Co-Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – PSNA
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Universities – Docs’ self-rated care not necessarily appreciated – UoA
Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

GPs who rate themselves as 'compassionate' don't necessarily have patients who agree.

A doctor who believes they are offering compassionate care doesn’t necessarily mean their patients feel cared for, according to new research out of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
 
While patients appreciate an accurate diagnosis, a clean clinic, decent quality testing and effective treatment, they also want to feel cared for, says Professor Nathan Consedine, a health psychologist in the School of Medicine at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
 
Consedine says the assumption has been that increasing compassion in providers will lead to patients feeling more cared for. However, whether it actually does so has not been studied.
 
In a recent study, Consedine and colleagues investigated whether doctors who felt they were compassionate had patients for whom correspondingly felt cared for.
 
The researchers surveyed more than a thousand anonymous patients about their experience of primary care, got ratings about their experience of compassion, and concluded by asking for the contact details of their GP.
 
The researchers then contacted their GP separately and asking them to answer questions about their practice, how compassionate they were, and so on. More than 200 GPs (40 percent of those asked) completed the questionnaire.
 
To the researcher’s surprise, doctors who rated themselves as more compassionate were not necessarily experienced as more caring by their patients. See Journal of General Internal Medicine.
 
In fact, there was no systematic link between a doctor’s compassion and the patient’s experience of care.
 
These findings suggest that a patient’s experience of compassion may or may not be related to their physicians’ self-assessed compassion.
 
Consedine says: “If you think about something analogous, like love languages, people like to be loved in diverse ways – some need touch, some need actions, some need words.
 
“So, assuming the same behaviour will have the same effect on everyone is misguided.
 
“You know that there will be age differences, gender differences, cultural differences, in what people need.”
 
This points to a need for further research to understand how compassion manifests in the things that doctors do to communicate compassion and how patients interpret these behaviours, Consedine says.
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Universities Research busts myth of ‘compassion fatigue’ – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

‘Compassion fatigue’ is widely regarded as the personal cost of caring, but new research from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland questions that narrative

‘Compassion fatigue’ is widely regarded as the personal cost of caring, but new research from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland questions that narrative and suggests that compassion fatigue could in fact be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 
Professor Nathan Consedine, a health psychologist in the School of Medicine says the research his group has conducted raises questions about the idea that compassion is inherently exhausting.
 
“Burnout in the health system is real, no doubt about it. But the experience of being too fried to care for other people is bundled up with the idea of ‘compassion fatigue’,” Consedine says.
 
The notion of ‘compassion fatigue’ has its basis in the work of Carla Joinson in the early 1990s, suggesting emergency nurses experienced a particular type of burnout where they had exhausted their ability to nurture.
 
“The idea is that compassion is like a muscle or an energy reserve that gets depleted over time,” says Consedine. “However, if it were a reservoir, you would expect compassion fatigue to get worse over time, but it does not.
 
“More experienced practitioners, people who have been doing it ten, 15, 20 years, report lower levels of compassion fatigue,” Consedine says. “So, according to the theory, either they have found a way to give compassion without draining the reservoir, or they have found a way to fill up the reservoir.
 
“But my interpretation is there is no reservoir, and it is not inherently fatiguing to care for other people.
 
“If you look at fMRI data, brain activation during compassionate states overlaps strongly with pleasure. It doesn’t look like effort – it looks like it feels good.”
 
Consedine’s latest study suggests that the very idea of ‘compassion fatigue’ may actually be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
 
In the new study, Consedine and lead author Dr Rachel Rosqvist, a GP, Senior Lecturer in General Practice, and then masters student, randomised around 150 doctors and medical students to view one of three videos, where an expert, Consedine, described compassion as tiring, energising, or neutral.
 
Afterwards, the doctors and students described their experiences of care in line with the particular video they had just watched. See British Journal of Health Psychology.
 
“It shows that a simple five-minute video can push people’s expectations quite significantly in terms of whether compassion is seen as tiring or rewarding,” says Consedine. Now just imagine the effect of consistently having experts, educators, and researchers tell you that compassion is tiring.
 
“I think what we are doing is, by constantly telling people that it is tiring to care, we are creating an expectation. And we know in health psychology research that expectations have a massive impact on the way people experience things,” Consedine says.
 
This is like a ‘nocebo effect’, where expecting something to have harmful effects makes it so – a self-fulfilling prophecy.
 
Making matters worse, describing the serious problems confronting healthcare in terms of ‘compassion fatigue’ focuses research on the person providing care, distracting us from the health system and the preposterous workloads doctors and nurses are expected to carry.
 
“Given that they are tired, they start thinking, ‘Oh, I'm tired because of giving compassion to other people.’ It's simply not true. They're tired because their jobs are phenomenally demanding” Consedine says.
 
The question of whether compassion fatigue is a “real thing” and whether it’s different from burnout is important because compassion is expected from health professionals, with documented links to provider job satisfaction and better patient outcomes.
 
Compassion may in fact be protective against burnout, says Consedine.
 
“For providers, it's a good predictor of job satisfaction and meaning.
 
“They could earn better money doing something else, but they choose to become a doctor or a nurse, because they get a sense of meaning from the process of alleviating suffering.”
 
Compassion exists where someone recognises another person is suffering and does something about it, says Consedine.
 
“It is important because every patient who comes through the door is suffering. It may be psychological, physical, or existential but orienting to the suffering of the other is the absolute crux of delivering compassionate care.”
 
Consedine believes changing our narratives about compassion would be helpful for clinicians, patients and the health system.
 
“Providers often think ‘I haven't got enough time to be compassionate.’ But it is more about the way in which things are done, and what you see as the purpose of what you are doing.”
 
Consedine says the focus should be, not on ‘compassion fatigue’, but rather on increasing the net amount of compassion in the healthcare system, with the ultimate metric being the patient's experience of care.