Sir, – Gordon Linney never fails to challenge and inspire ("Compassion – the heart of the ministry of Jesus", Thinking Anew, October 18th). Commenting on the views of a lecturer on ethics who was reported as saying that compassion would not solve any problems in the NHS, he so rightly notes that "healing is not just about drugs and procedures, it is about people with feelings and anxieties who need and deserve compassion and understanding".
Compassion in my dictionary has many definitions, all bordering on understanding, humanity, concern and care. Perhaps it is worth adding the oft-quoted words of Maya Angelou, “I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. – Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Director,
Trust,
Bride Road, Dublin 8.