Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Patient & Visitor Information

Page updated: 04/11/2010

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Department of Spiritual Care (Chaplaincy)

Coming into hospital can be an unsettling experience. While a person is in hospital the Trust is committed to supporting each patient along with relatives, carers and friends in their personal values, beliefs and relationships.

Our aim is to create an environment where dignity is respected, feelings are acknowledged and beliefs are embraced. We will treat you kindly and do our best to care for you in the way that you want. It is therefore important that you tell hospital staff what matters to you.

The Spiritual Care (Chaplaincy) Team is committed to diversity and is here to support you in your own spiritual, pastoral and religious beliefs as well as your personal values and relationships. We provide a listening and support service for those who need it.

We are here to support people of any faith or none.

When your hospital admission is being arranged you should be asked for your religion and if the chaplain can be informed of these details. These questions should also be checked with you on admission to the hospital ward. However, these questions are simply a legal requirement and do not mean that the chaplains will know that you are in hospital or if you wish to receive a visit or support.

If you would like us to visit you or someone you know while in hospital you must contact the chaplains or make a special request on the ward that the chaplain be informed of your wishes. If you do not contact us we may not know that you are in hospital and cannot support your spiritual needs.

Contact Us

Gloucestershire Royal	Cheltenham General Hospital
Department of Spiritual Care	Department of Spiritual Care
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital	Cheltenham General Hospital
Great Western Road	Sandford Road
Gloucester	Cheltenham
GL1 3NN	GL53 7AN
0300 422 6200	0300 422 4286
email :	email:

How to contact a chaplain when you are in hospital

Whatever your personal faith, religion, beliefs or personal values, if you would like to see a chaplain while you are in hospital please specifically ask a member of the nursing staff to contact the spiritual care team on your behalf to let us know of your request.

As part of your ongoing care assessment during your stay nursing staff will ask about your spiritual, religious, cultural and dietary beliefs or practices. You will be asked questions about any hopes, fears, anxieties or concerns that you may have and also if there is any other personal information that you consider important to the way you are cared for. You can use this opportunity to tell staff about anything that matters to you including if you would like to see a chaplain, attend a hospital service or receive a specific visit from your own faith leader.

Emergency Contact

In an emergency a duty chaplain is always available and can be contacted by the ward staff or via the switchboard. Please see details below.

The Spiritual Care (Chaplaincy) Team

A chaplain is available and a team of volunteer chaplaincy visitors regularly visit the wards. You can ask the staff to contact us at any time and even if you previously indicated that you did not need to see a chaplain you are free to change your mind. Roman Catholic Priests can be contacted on request and we can also contact representatives for most faith groups on your behalf.

How we can support you

The Spiritual Care Team is available to offer you a confidential listening service and can talk through any concerns or issues you may have. We are always willing to pray with you and to arrange any spiritual, pastoral or religious care appropriate to your needs. Holy Communion and prayer are regularly offered on the wards for members of the Christian tradition. The religious needs of people from other faiths will be catered for on request.

If you need any particular religious items or books, or if you have specific dietary requirements which assist you in your religious observances please let one of the chaplains know. We can contact local faith representatives on your behalf to arrange a visit subject to your consent.

Places of worship/prayer

At Gloucestershire Royal there is a chapel in the Tower entrance and there are two multifaith prayer rooms with ablution facilities near Fosters' restaurant. (Please note that when being used for Muslim prayers, prayer room 1 is used by men and prayer room 2 is used by women. At all other times both prayer rooms are open to anyone for personal prayer).

At Cheltenham General there is a multifaith chapel in West Block near the Blue Spa restaurant.

All these facilities are available 24 hours a day (apart from formal service times) for use as places of quiet reflection and prayer. There are prayer diaries available in each chapel for prayer requests.

Messages for the chaplains can also be left in the red boxes outside each chapel office.

Worship

Gloucestershire Royal

Sunday

8.30 am Holy Communion

9.30 am Bedside Ministry on the wards

11.00 am Morning Worship

Daily

9.00 am Morning Prayer (not Saturday)

Cheltenham General

Sunday

8.30 am Holy Communion

9.30 am Bedside Ministry on the Wards

Daily

9.30 am Morning Prayer (not Thursday or Saturday)

If you wish to come to any services whilst you are a patient please let the ward staff know and ask them to inform the chaplains.

Contact the Chaplains

The Hospital Chaplains can be contacted in the following ways: -

Emergency Contact via Switchboard

0300 422 2222 Ask for the operator who can contact the duty chaplain on your behalf.