No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less … ' wrote the poet John Donne. 1 The idea that people are connected in fundamental ways is echoed by EM Forster in the novel Howards End with its infamous epigraph, 'Only connect'. 2 Fans of The House of God author Samuel Shem will also recognise the emphasis on connection throughout his medical and non-medical fiction. 3 British GPs also endorse the idea of connecting with others through holistic practice and therapeutic relationships. Theories of relationship-based care have been adopted by the Royal College of General Practitioners. 4