ABSTRACT
It is often said that interpersonal communication and relationships are at the ‘heart’ of health and social care. Communicating effectively and developing productive relationships, whether between care providers and service users or within organisations, are increasingly seen as central to the process of improving the quality of care services. A great deal of media and public attention has been focused in recent years on apparent failures or breakdowns in communication, whether between care professionals and the public or between different agencies. As a consequence, a range of initiatives have been designed to improve communication skills and processes, and to transform the nature and quality of relationships in care services. The emphasis is increasingly on openness, participation and partnership, even if the reality of everyday experience in care settings does not always live up to these high ideals.
