ABSTRACT
Lots of patients and families are really frightened of coming here. Part of our job is to greet them at the door – and you can see the absolute terror on their face. So we will hold their hands, give human contact and just be compassionate. They just want you to treat them normally, give them some normality back. They don’t want to keep talking about cancer and dying. They may have been ill for some time and they often say ‘it is so nice to have a laugh’ – because everybody who comes to visit them asks ‘how are you?’ ‘Have you got pain?’ They forget that they want to talk about the normal things ‘what’s Tony Blair up to this week?’
