Whether you are a patient or a relative of one, being in hospital can be a challenging time. You or your loved one may be feeling anxious or distressed. You may be dealing with a new diagnosis, or just wondering what is going to happen next. You may feel alone. You may be bereaved. Whatever is happening, it is normal to feel overwhelmed from time to time. We’re here to support you.
We seek to support people of any faith. We hold a list of local faith leaders and representatives who we can contact when needed. We also have an internal group of staff members of many faiths who act as advisors to the service and give support.
Children and Young People’s Chaplaincy
We have two children and young people’s chaplains. They work with the community palliative care team to support families of palliative children and bereaved families.
Bereavement Listening Service
We offer 1:1 sessions for bereavement support. The service is offered to patients, bereaved relatives and members of staff. We can meet face to face or talk on the phone or online. Contact us at listening@swft.nhs.uk. Click here for more information.
Big questions
Illness can raise all sorts of questions for people – why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve it? What if I don’t get better? Some of these questions may find some resolution within a person’s religious tradition but most people are not religious, and even those who are, need more than religion to meet their deepest human needs.
Chaplains offer time and space to listen to a person’s needs and to help them articulate what matters to them. We are here for people who find themselves to be patients and for their families – sometimes it is family members who needs most support. It helps to talk – we are here to listen.
Visiting
We will visit anyone and give whatever time is needed to meet their need. You don’t need to ‘be religious’ to see a chaplain. We will only talk about religion if you want to.
We are here for everyone, regardless of background or belief.
Our main base is Warwick Hospital. However, we also visit:
Leamington Hospital
We visit patients or staff in any area of Leamington Hospital, at any time. There is usually a chaplain on-site in Leamington on Wednesdays. We also have a small team of chaplaincy volunteers who visit the wards on Fridays. Our chaplaincy administrator is based in the volunteer hub. Here there is also chaplaincy information and support.
Stratford Hospital
We visit patients or staff in any area of Stratford Hospital, at any time. A small team of chaplaincy volunteers, including one of our honorary chaplains, visit regularly on the Nicol Unit and Rigby Unit. They are usually there on Thursdays.