Chaplaincy and pastoral care
We support patients, relatives, friends and carers through difficult times
Coming into hospital
A hospital stay can be difficult and stressful for patients, and the families and friends who support them. It can be emotionally and spiritually unsettling, affecting a person’s normal sense of wellbeing and making it harder for them to cope with an illness or injury.
The Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care is a valued part of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust.
The Trust Chaplaincy team provides spiritual, pastoral and religious support to patients, visitors and staff across the Trust and is available for everyone, whether a religious belief is held or not.
Please ask a member of staff if you would like to see a Chaplain.
How can the chaplaincy team support you?
The Trust Chaplaincy team consists of Chaplains from Christian and other faith backgrounds through established links within the local faith communities including: Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh.
If you wish to see a chaplain from your own faith a member of our chaplaincy team can arrange this with your consent. We can also contact your own faith leader on request.
We are not a stand-alone department; we work alongside hospital staff to provide holistic support. Referrals via the Palliative Care and End of Life teams are common.
If you wish a member of the chaplaincy team to visit you whilst in hospital a member of the nursing staff can contact the team on your behalf. Alternatively, you can use the contact details below to self-refer.
Emergencies and bereavements
During evenings and at weekends, hospital Chaplains are available for support in crisis and life-threatening situations through an emergency call-out service. This service is for both patients and those who are supporting them. Hospital staff will contact the duty chaplain through the switchboard upon request.
If you would rather have a religious representative from your own particular faith, tradition or denomination, please provide the nursing staff with contact details for your own minister, Priest or religious representative. They will contact them for you.
In an emergency please ask nursing staff to contact the Chaplaincy Team. We provide a 24-hour service and the appropriate on-call chaplain can be contacted via switchboard 01708 435 000.
Mourning Coffee
For those recently bereaved, you are invited to join us for an informal chat over coffee with others who are recently bereaved. Our aim is to provide a group which supports one another in a friendly environment. If you think this is something that will help you, then please come. We meet on Wednesdays in Romford, Ilford and Dagenham. See our poster for more information.
Spiritual and pastoral care
Spiritual care involves exploring what matters most. It can include reflecting on our relationships, activities and beliefs that matter to us. By understanding how those things give us our sense of value and purpose in our lives. Illness or a hospital stay can affect all of these areas of our lives.
As chaplains we can offer a safe environment and a friendly ear to those who want to talk about any issues, anxieties or other feelings that arise during a stay in hospital. We also encourage you to get in touch if you want someone to talk to; are feeling stressed, worried or going through a tough time. We are not clinical and what you share with us is confidential.
Religious care
If you would like one of our team to support you with prayers, religious rites or ceremonies, please tell the nursing staff and they will contact us on your behalf. Alternatively, you can contact us directly and self-refer.
Worship, prayer and reflection
The Trust has places of prayer and reflection where people can sit quietly or pray privately. These rooms are open for patients, visitors and staff to use, whatever their beliefs may be.
Information on regular services and prayer times are below. Services and prayer times are also displayed on the notice boards in prayer rooms.
Queen's Hospital
There are two prayer rooms, open to everyone.
St Luke’s Chapel is located on the first floor, first right in the Blue Zone turning towards the maternity block.
The Multi-Faith Prayer Room is located on the first floor (Neutral Zone) at the top of the escalator on the left hand side. There are ablution facilities inside the room.
King George Hospital
The Multi-Faith Prayer Room is in block 5, near the main atrium, opposite the Radiology Department
(X-ray)
Resources
Resources are available in our prayer rooms. These include the Bible and New Testament & Psalms donated by the Gideons. There are also copies of the Koran, prayer books and reading materials from a variety of faiths. Please feel free to take a copy and they will be replenished by the Chaplaincy department. If you are unable to access our prayer rooms, please contact the chaplaincy team who can arrange for resources to be brought to you.
Volunteers
Our volunteer Pastoral Visitors provide a listening ear for patients and relatives. They are comprised of volunteers from a variety of faiths and undergo chaplaincy-specific training in addition to the Volunteer Trust training. They cover both Queen’s and King George Hospitals. Whilst some of our volunteers are retired from their previous employment, others volunteer around their work and/or family commitments. We hold Pastoral Visitors’ training three times a year bringing the team together to share experience and receive in-depth training on topics such as ‘End of Life Care’ and ‘Dementia’. We also have monthly group supervision for additional support due to the sensitive and emotive nature of their role.
We run training session for new volunteers twice a year. If you would like to join our team of Pastoral Visitors please contact the Chaplaincy Department for more information.
Regular services at Queen's Hospital
Everyone is warmly welcome at the following services:
St Luke’s Chapel, Bible Reading and Prayer
Wednesdays, 12.30pm
St Luke's Chapel, Communion service
Second Tuesday of each month, 12.30pm
Multi-faith Prayer Room, Muslim Jummah Prayers
Fridays, 12.35pm and 1.05pm (during winter)
Fridays, 1.15pm and 1.40pm (during summer)
Multi-faith Prayer Room, Muslim Dhuhar Prayers
Everyday, 1pm (during winter)
Everyday, 1.15pm (during summer)
Multi-faith Prayer Room, Muslim Asr Prayers
Everyday, 3pm (winter)
Regular services at King George Hospital
Prayer Room, Muslim Jummah Prayers
Fridays, 1pm (during winter)
Fridays, 1.20pm (during summer)
Prayer Room, Muslim Dhuhar Prayers
Everyday, 1pm (during winter)
Everyday, 1.15pm (during summer)
Prayer Room, Muslim Asr Prayers
Everyday, 3pm (during winter)
Summer: April - October
Winter: November-March
Upcoming events
Details of services, events and celebrations will be posted here.
Weekly Calendar Chaplaincy Events - Summer
Weekly Calendar Chaplaincy Events - Winter
Queen's Hospital
Chaplaincy Office
Extension: 4729/3201
External Tel: 01708 504329/503201
Internal Staff DECT phone: 6255
Email: Bhrut.chaplaincy@nhs.net
King George Hospital
Chaplaincy Office
Extension: 8494
External Tel: 020 8970 8494
Email: Bhrut.chaplaincy@nhs.net