Healthcare chaplains are found in every healthcare organisation. Large hospitals will typically have more than one chaplain, usually representing two or three different Christian denominations. Community Hospitals and Hospices will typically have one paid chaplain with hours varying from a half time to a full time post. Paid chaplains in each organisation are supported by trained, volunteer chaplains who are drawn from a wide variety of Christian denominations and, increasingly, other faith traditions. Chaplaincy teams tend to operate ecumenically in Christian terms and in a multi-faith way too. Even the smallest chaplaincy team will have developed useful contacts across the Christian denominations and other faiths, to help ensure that patients receive care which honours their own faith journey.
Modern healthcare chaplains lead on ‘spiritual care’ in their organisations. Spiritual care is concerned with care of the whole person and, is interested in exploring and supporting the ‘meaning and purpose’ each person finds in their life. Often, ‘meaning and purpose’ is found through a religious tradition but, it is an important principle in modern healthcare, that all people have spiritual care needs whether or not they are religious. A chaplain’s ‘rules of engagement’ are potentially quite different from those of colleagues in parish or other community ministry.
Chaplains are, therefore, best seen as specialist ministers with additional training who provide spiritual care to people of all faiths and none. We promise to listen carefully, to keep confidences and, to make the patient’s starting point our starting point. As a result of this we enjoy privileged access to patients. However, this can also mean that we are not able to share some information with patients’ own ministers, which can occasionally be a source of frustration to all parties.
We always appreciate receiving referrals from colleagues to visit parishioners/ church members during a hospital/ hospice stay (including for the provision of denominationally appropriate worship). We are equally happy to assist our community based colleagues as they take the lead in continuing care for their parishioners during the hospital/ hospice stay. Contact details for chaplaincy across the diocese are provided below.
Healthcare chaplains within the Worcester diocesan area:
Bishop's Advisers on Healthcare
The Revd Canon Clare Griffiths (Anglican) - 01905 763963
Black Country Partnership NHS Trust
The Revd Emma Louis (Anglican) - lead, 0845 146 1800
Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (Russells Hall, Corbet and Guest)
Interim Lead – Mrs Jill Faulkner (Head of Patient Experience and Chaplaincy) - 01384 321035 x3200
Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
Princess of Wales Hospital, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster(Wyre Forest), Timberdine Commuity Unit, Worcester, Tenbury Wells Community Hospital, Malvern Community Hospital and Pershore and Evesham Community Hospitals
Mr Andy Green (Anglican), 01386 502418
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Worcester (Worcester Royal), Kidderminster and Redditch (Alexandra Hospital)
David Southall (Baptist) - lead, 01905 760124
Helen Glithero (Anglican)
Claire Ord (Baptist)
David Ryan (Anglican), 01527 505723
Mary Stevens Hospice, Stourbridge
Chaplaincy team: 01384 443010
Primrose Hospice, Bromsgrove
Keith Judson (Baptist), 01527 871051
St Richard's Hospice, Worcester
Clare Griffiths (Anglican), 01905 763963