What Money Cannot Buy? Compassion in Healthcare: A Response to the Recent Commentaries

Let me first start by thanking everyone who responded to my editorial entitled: ‘why and how is compassion necessary to provide good quality healthcare?’1 it is both a humbling and deeply gratifying experience, to receive so many thoughtful and valuable comments from colleagues whose work i know and respect. and it is in equal measure, rewarding and stimulating, to be able to read engaging and incisive responses from colleagues i have never met but whose writings inspire me. these are rare gifts to be cherished, and they remind me of my privileged position as a member of the virtual community where such a genuine exchange of ideas takes place.