Agnes Arnold-Forster says: In my current research, I conduct oral history interviews with practising and recently retired surgeons. I ask them to narrate their lives and we explore together the emotions of their personal and professional experiences. When asked about the emotional cost of care and their working conditions, almost all hark back to an era before the introduction of the EU working time directive. They reflect on the compassionate connections they could form with their patients when they were able to maintain continuity of care and talk about long working hours that were made bearable by the emotional support provided by the “firm.” For full story click here.