The true story of the town that beat loneliness
Frome in Somerset, UK has seen a dramatic fall in emergency hospital
admissions since it began a collective project to combat isolation.
While emergency admissions to hospitals across Somerset have increased
by 29%, incurring a 21% increase in costs, Frome has seen admissions
fall by 17%, with a 21% reduction in costs.
Society has developed in such a way to facilitate a drastic
malnourishment of community, connection and compassion. This book sets
out the case for the effective restoration of the active power of
compassion as a widely available, fundamental force for good in all
aspects of human life. In the process, it draws attention to research
which demonstrates that an innate capacity and need for compassionate
behavior is closely woven into the fabric of our bodies.
But this is also a book with stories to tell - the stories of how, by
harnessing the power of compassion in the lives of real men and women,
the small English town of Frome has opened up a new approach to the
practice of medicine which has improved individual health and welfare
while at the same time enhancing the vitality of the whole community.
The effects of this approach have proved so beneficial that it has
attracted international attention and is now transforming perspectives
on issues of healthcare and social welfare across the world.
