Compassion- what's that?

Many years ago I heard it suggested that the major fault of the political left was the denial of Original Sin- while that of the right was the refusal to countenance anything else- in others. I do not know how true that is but I do recall the Thatcher government's clearly implied conviction that anyone working in the public service was most likely on the make. Teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers, civil servants and government employees of all kinds were a bad lot, lazy and not doing their jobs properly. The "remedy" involved, among other things, tighter supervision, an emphasis upon management, "guidelines", appraisals, new terms of service and a dose of "competition". Now, all of a sudden, there is concern that the elderly are not treated with compassion in the health service! This news came on the day that a court in Scotland showed scant regard for the consciences of midwives working within the NHS.