The Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, used her annual conference speech at the 11th RCGP conference in Liverpool to highlight the impact that loneliness can have on health and wellbeing. She tells the story of Enid, a lovely lady who has recently lost her husband after 62 years and talks about how she helped her by facilitating renewed social contact and links with her local community. Professor Stokes-Lampard said “Social isolation and loneliness are akin to a long term health condition when it comes to the impact they can have on our patients health and wellbeing.” She further stated that “Enid didn’t need drugs to cheer her up or mask her pain. She needed a cure for her loneliness - she needed human contact.”