As I set out in my annual report Realistic Medicine: Taking Care, healthcare is not a series of interchangeable and faceless tasks. For many of us, the most fulfilling professional relationships are those we build with the people we care for over time. These deep interpersonal connections help us learn about them as people: their lives, their context and what matters most. It is no surprise to me that for those experiencing healthcare inequalities, relational continuity (seeing the same face) is important. And for those with the most complex health and social care needs, who may find it difficult to establish and maintain trust in our systems, continuity is all too often a missing element of care.
When we get this form of relational care right, the people we care for face fewer hospital admissions, lower mortality and reduced use of wider services resulting in less waste. To enable sustainable and equitable care into the future, we must provide careful and kind care, recognise the critical importance of continuity and relationship-based care and take account of the biography, as well as the biology of the people we serve.
There is a growing body of evidence that relational continuity of care positively influences clinical outcomes for people across the life course, which I talk about in detail in my current annual report Realistic Medicine: Critical Connections. My reports have been informed by this excellent evidence review from my Senior Medical & Public Health Advisory Forum and I encourage you to read it.
Professor Sir Gregor Smith
Chief Medical Officer for Scotland