Spiritual & pastoral care

We value the human spirit

"From the first time I saw you on the ward, I knew I could talk to you about anything".
This comment was made by a long-term patient and highlights a chaplain's key role: to be there for everybody - patients, carers and staff - no matter what their spiritual or religious need.

Whatever your faith or take on life...

...we can arrange for spiritual and pastoral support. And it doesn't even need to be a spiritual or religious matter. We happen to believe that spirituality is expressed through religion, but not limited to religion, so we'll try to help in ways that work for you.

We work in different ways

Our spiritual and pastoral care team covers a number of faiths and takes a wide-ranging approach to care. We don't just take care of the physical or mental bits; we look after a person's emotional side too. We try to keep our service "human" - by recognising the person rather than defining them by their illness.

We can:

pray with you
listen confidentially to your private concerns
lead public worship or pray quietly at a bedside
offer training to staff groups
explore broad ethical issues
help someone find meaning in a life approaching its end, or
just have a chat.

We can help you to relate your experience of illness to your faith. Some patients have profoundly distressing feelings. They think, "I'm a good, faithful believer - why has God made me or let me be ill?'" Other patients face a deep personal crisis. Whatever your spiritual need, we can help.