Compassionate Healthcare

Rehumanising Medicine

Dr Robin Youngson interviewed by Psychiatrist Dr Nicholas Beecroft. Robin is an anesthesiologist trained in the UK and practicing in New Zealand for the last twenty years. Robin is an inspiring visionary and catalyst for truly compassionate, holistic, mindful and healing healthcare. Through opening himself and his own personal journey to others, he touches the heart of patients, healthcare professionals and hospital managers. As founder of Hearts in Healthcare and author of “TIME TO CARE-How to love your patients and your job,” he is a powerful advocate for the transformation of healthcare. 

In this interview, he draws on his frustrating experience of trying to get proper care for his daughter who had been seriously injured and admitted to his own hospital for 100 days. Within a few hours he went from being a senior doctor, a powerful person in that hospital system, to a disempowered advocate for good care. He describes his own journey from doctor as technician to doctor as a mindful, healer and compassionate human being. 

Robin shares some of the evidence for holistic, compassionate healthcare and gives examples of where this is already happening. He discusses how he benefitted from taking a mindful approach to his own thoughts, feelings and behaviors and how that radically transformed the healthcare experience for his patients, colleagues and himself. He talks about burnout and cynicism in medical staff. He shares his challenges in trying to reform the healthcare system. 

He has realized after 15 years of trying that there is no point in trying to persuade people or systems to practice compassionate healthcare. Instead, he has founded a global network of early adopters, passionate advocates and practitioners of caring, healing, holistic healthcare called Hearts in Healthcare. The network enables the sharing of powerful inspiring stories, of good evidence, of techniques that work and experience in transformational change. 

Robin is married with three grown-up children and two grandchildren. An unassuming overachiever, Robin Youngson was born in the UK in 1955. Starting life as an Army child, he followed his family to postings throughout the British Empire before experiencing the horrors of institutional life in an English boarding school. In 1977 he graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in engineering, and worked for three years in the highly hazardous field of oil exploration to pay his way through medical school. 

Robin has combined clinical practice with many leadership roles in healthcare. He was a founding member of the national Quality Improvement Committee in New Zealand and also advised the World Health Organization on strategies for patient safety and putting people at the center of healthcare. As a practicing anesthesiologist, Robin has for years been a lone voice on the international speaking circuit for compassionate, whole patient care. 

He is the founder of the international HEARTS in HEALTHCARE movement launched in 2012. 

Dr Nicholas Beecroft, a Military and Organizational Psychiatrist, has spent 25 years exploring the worlds of Medicine, Psychiatry, Business, International Relations and the Military. In the Future of Western Civilization Series, he interviews visionary leaders to discover their inspiring, positive and practical visions for the future and challenges them with incisive questions.

Future of Western Civilization Series 1, Book 1 
Introduction to the Series-Dr Nicholas Beecroft interviewed by Melanie Mortiboys 
British Patriotism-A Newcomer’s Perspective-William Nkata Masembe 
The Next Big Shift-From Machine to Living System-Dr Nicholas Beecroft 
Global Simultaneous Policy Making-Bottom-Up Global Policy-John Bunzl 
The Future of Capitalism-Getting What We Really Want-Jon Freeman 
Transpartisan Politics-The Power of Integrating Diversity-Joseph McCormick 
Creating Heaven on Earth-Taking Small Steps in the Right Direction-Martin Rutte 
Bonds, Fields and Intentions-Culture Catches Up with Science-Lynne McTaggart 
Leadership with Integrity-How to be True to Yourself-Dr Mary Gentile 
Wisdom-Lost and Rediscovered-Professor Jim Garrison 
The Living Universe-Bringing Science, Finance and Society to Life-Dr Elisabet Sahtouris 
Organizational Democracy-10 Steps to Democratic Culture and Leadership-Traci Fenton

Future of Western Civilization Series 1, Book 2 
The West is Best-Insights from the PR Man to the Stars-Howard Bloom 
Evolutionary Enlightenment-Living from your Creative Impulse-Andrew Cohen 
Renaissance 2-Catalyzing the Second Renaissance-Dr Robin Wood 
Positive Patriotism-The Evolving British-Chris Parish 
The Master Code-The Theory that Explains Everything-Dr Don Beck

Future of Western Civilization Series 1, Book 3 
Generational Cycles-Predicting the Future-Neil Howe 
Catalyzing Change-Engaging Emergence-Peggy Holman 
Successful Nations-Harnessing the Aspirations of the People-Richard Barrett 
Resurrecting Christianity-Rising to the Challenges of a Complex World-Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali 
German Identity & Patriotism-Healing the Wounds, Integrating the Shadow-Adrian Wagner 
Compassionate Healthcare-Re-humanising Medicine-Dr Robin Youngson 
New Money-The Evolution of Finance-Jordan MacLeod

Future of Western Civilization Series 1, Book 4 
Unleashing Human Potential-Alignment, Energetics and Connection-Soleira Green 
Wise Democracy-Discovering Solutions to Intractable Problems-Jim Rough 
Mindfulness-Applications for Leaders and Clinicians-Dr Nicholas Beecroft 
Evolutionary Leadership-Conscious Leadership in an Age of Transition-Peter Merry 
The Future of Europe-A View from Inside the European Union-Helen Titchen Beeth 
Ending the Culture War-A Devoted Conservative and a Die-hard Liberal Make Friends-Phil Neisser & Jacob Hess 
The Future of Western Civilization Progress Report-Dr Nicholas Beecroft interviewed by Melanie Mortiboys