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Respecting your Religious and Cultural Beliefs |
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Written by Chaplaincy
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| 1. |
For many people religious or cultural observance can be very important and our aim is to respect this and to support our patients and their families in meeting their religious and spiritual needs whilst they are in our care.. A patient's religious affiliation, if any, should be recorded as early as possible. Patients or their relatives should always be offered the opportunity to see one of the Hospital Chaplains, or their own priest or religious leader. |
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A Chaplain is normally available twenty-four/seven and the "on call" Chaplain can be contacted at anytime through the hospital switchboards. |
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The switchboard holds a copy of the Trust Folder: "Meeting the Patient's Religious Needs" which includes a list of local religious representatives of other faiths. This file contains information about the major Christian denominations and other world faiths. The Hospital Chaplains can also be contacted for advice on how to get in touch with the patient's own priest or religious leader. |
| 4. |
If there is uncertainty about how the patient's religious requirements can most helpfully be met, it is best first to ask the patient, or the patient's family, exactly what help they would like. Individuals will vary in their expression of their faith, and some will find religious observance more important than others. The Chaplains are happy to be available to those of their own respective denominations, but also to those who do not profess a specific faith or denomination. Even those patients or families who do not hold a particular belief sometimes appreciate the offer of prayer, especially perhaps when a patient is close to death, or after a patient has died. This opportunity should always be offered.
The Chaplains also have copies of the handbook "Religions in the UK" which contains useful contact numbers, and of the current Multi-faith Calendar.
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| 5. |
The Chaplains are also happy to offer pastoral ministry which may not necessarily include religious ritual of any kind. If patients or relatives are distressed, struggling with problems related to their illness, or with more long-term issues, they may value the input of someone who is neither a clinician, nor closely involved with them in a personal way. |
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There is a Multi-Faith Centre on both hospital sites and service times will be advertised. Patients, or their families, may appreciate guidance in finding the Centre. Both Centres are open throughout the day and the hospital security guard can open the Centre at other times if a patient, or member of a patient's family, requests this. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 01 September 2010 12:40 )
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Guiding Principles