Coming to hospital can cause many different emotions in patients, relatives, carers and friends. You may want to talk to one of our chaplains or volunteer ward visitors in confidence
Chaplains are members of hospital staff trained to provide a high standard of spiritual, religious and pastoral care. There are Christian chaplains (Church of England, Free Church and Roman Catholic), and Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist chaplains. They are employed specifically to provide support for patients and relatives as well as staff, and work closely with clinical teams on the wards.
The presence and support that our chaplains offer is not limited to people who are religious. The chaplaincy team offers spiritual, religious or pastoral support to people of all faiths and beliefs, religious and non-religious.
Chaplains can offer:
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a supportive, and confidential listening ear
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one to one, or group de-briefs after a difficult shift or after a particular encounter
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mindfulness sessions
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spiritual health and well-being resources
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prayer, blessings, sacramental care and support with memorials, emergency baptisms
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emotional support for staff, patients and carers.
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naming and blessing services for babies
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emergency relationship blessings
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liaise with local faith/belief leaders on your behalf, when requested
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access to religious literature (Holy Bible, Noble Qur’an, )
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wrestle with disillusionment and find resources and practices within different faith/belief traditions to address disillusionment
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navigate bereavement and loss
We have chaplains on call 24/7. In an emergency, please request a member of the nursing staff to contact a chaplain through the switchboard on 01737 768 511 for you.
- From inside the hospital, please call us on extension x6120 at East Surrey Hospital.
- From outside the hospital, please call us: 01737 768 511 x6120 or you can send us a Message or WhatsApp on 07779977453.
To reach the chaplains urgently out-of-hours, please contact the switchboard and ask them to page the on-call chaplain for the faith or belief you need.
If your call is not urgent you can leave a message on our answer machine. Or you can email us at sash.
| Event | Day and date | Time and venue |
| Babies and children memorial service | May and Oct 2022 | TBC |
Chaplaincy volunteers come from a variety of local faith and belief organisations. After training, they visit patients with their consent. Their role is to work with the chaplains and to listen and respond sensitively to patients’ needs, and this may mean supporting someone from a very different background.
It is strictly forbidden for a chaplaincy volunteer to promote their own beliefs or philosophy, or distribute literature.
To find out more, contact the chaplains on 01737 768 511 x 6120 or sash.
Student placement
We also welcome ordinards or others students who are training on chaplaincy course to join us for their placement. If you are looking for a placement, please contact (to be confirmed).