Dr Lesley Morrison's appeal:

"I was a GP colleague and friend of Dr Pat Manson who tragically died in  2012.

In his memory we decided last year to produce a little book of poems which would accompany new young doctors on the beginning of their emotionally demanding work. It  fits easily into their pockets and acts as  a source of comfort and support, a friend. When they  are often at risk of being overwhelmed by a vast amount of protocols and clinical data, this little book serves to nourish their humanity and remind them that they are not alone in their experience.

I had discussed this idea with Pat and, as was his way, he was positive and encouraging about it. He was creative and loved poetry. He was passionate about teaching and motivating young doctors and he cared deeply about his patients: as his BMJ obituary said, "The well-being and care of his patients was the cornerstone of his professional life and he gave his time unstintingly, often to his own personal detriment".

The Scottish Poetry Library, as a charity, are contributing their experience and knowledge of poetry and, thanks to donations from friends, medical colleagues and poetry lovers, have  produced enough copies to give one to every new Scottish medical graduate in 2014 and 2015. The book has been so warmly received - for example, here's Dr Richard Smith's lovely BMJ blog review http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2014/06/23/richard-smith-a-book-of-poems-for-medical-graduates/ - that now we hope to produce another edition for students graduating in 2016 and 2017.

Would you like to be part of  this project? We want to  make “Tools of the Trade”  as widely available as possible. In memory of Pat and to promote the ethos of kindness and humanity in health care, please consider donating."

 

 You can either donate through this JustGiving page, or you can send a cheque payable to Scottish Poetry Library, addressing the envelope to Scottish Poetry Library: Poetry for New Doctors, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DT.