President's Lecture - In Place of Fear

Illness and ill-being frighten us, as we know all too well in the midst of this pandemic. Fear can produce much-needed action – but it can also preoccupy, distract, undermine thinking, and seriously damage engagement and cooperation. It can breed resentment, exhaustion and despair.

The ways we manage anxiety and fear, whether as patients, clinicians or managers, whether as individuals, families, organisations or societies, are vital to health and wellbeing – even survival.

Our health and social care services could contain our fears much better. Instead, deliberately or otherwise, intimidation and threat too often infect relationships.    We will try to understand this through exploring the dynamics of individuals, groups and systems - and then think about how to create a climate in which people and practice can thrive.