Every day in the UK, more than a million conversations take place between doctors and patients. But in the noise of healthcare reform, the small conversations that matter most have been drowned out.

This pamphlet eavesdrops on the conversations that are taking place between doctors and patients, in particular around diabetes and mental illness. Here, professionals are learning to talk and listen to increasingly assertive patients. Improving the quality of conversations is key to empowerment and innovation.

For professionals and policy makers, this means letting go of some old assumptions about expertise and professionalism. The future of healthcare depends not only on new technologies and treatments but also on giving people the space to talk.

Some coverage of The Talking Cure
The Pharmaceutical Journal
Comment is Free
The Daily Mirror
The Lancet