When poor performance meets continuous ill health it can be hard to decide at what point can they be held accountable?  This  excerpt from the Harvard Business Review recommended book “The mindful leader” shows  how compassion plays a part in accountability-

“Compassion is not soft warm or fuzzy. It means giving an employee tough but difficult feedback. Compassion means making a difficult decision for the good of the company even when it negatively impacts individuals. Compassion is an intention that doesn’t necessarily change your action but changes the way you conduct your actions”