The chaplaincy service provides religious, spiritual, pastoral and cultural care for service users, their carer’s and families while on site and our staff, working in the Trust. All chaplains are part of the Hospital’s multi-disciplinary team providing non-judgemental holistic care. Chaplaincy service is for people of all faiths and none. Chaplains do regular ward rounds and also provide an out of hours’ service, which can be accessed through switchboard.
Our church is located on the first floor off the main corridor in the “Old” Ulster Ulster Hospital site. Click here to view on AccessAble. We also have a sanctuary in level 1 ASB Ulster Hospital. Click here to view on AccessAble.
If a patient requires spiritual, pastoral and cultural care of a different faith the Chaplaincy team have strong community links and can source a representative to care for their specific needs.
The chaplaincy service works with Trust Bereavement Services to produce an Annual Staff Remembrance Service. And supports the Forget-Me-Not Maternity Bereavement Group in producing an Annual Maternity Remembrance Service.
Click here to view on AccessAble
Chaplaincy Structure
The structure of the chaplaincy service reflects the South Eastern Trust area in which it serves:
At the Ulster Hospital there is Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Other Denominations Chaplains. We also have chaplains in service areas: Maternity Services, Palliative Care, Mental Health, and Dementia.
At Lagan Valley Downe and Downshire Hospitals there are Protestant and Roman Catholic Chaplains.
And at Ards Hospital and Thompson House we have generic chaplains to service everyone.
Chaplaincy Services
The chaplaincy team have Spiritual care walk-rounds for staff listening; the team also use communication device to communicate directly with patients in their rooms and staff.
Booklet written and produced by one of our trust chaplains: “Hope in a Crisis” Booklet (Positive feedback from patients, staff and families) Interest from NHS England including the Manchester Swan Nurses Team, Europe and USA. Used regionally by bereavement co-ordinators and chaplains across Northern Ireland. Vivienne also produced a follow-up booklet for staff support, “I SEE You” which has been widely distributed around the Trust and regionally.
Chaplaincy Resources
- Gideon’s New Testament and Large Print Bibles
- Prayers of those in Hospital Chaplaincy Prayer Booklet
- Multi-Faith Resources
- Hope in a Crisis
- I See You (Staff Support)
- You Matter (Non-religious)
- When Hopes Seem Dashed (Maternity Bereavement)
Copies of the above Resources can be found in the church and Sanctuaries in the Trust or by request via the staff.
Chaplaincy Training
The South Eastern trust has a Clinical Pastoral Education Teaching Centre to train Chaplains for ministry in the hospital setting. Rev Don Gamble Lead Chaplain is a Supervisor/Educator with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (Ireland). The course consists of 200 hrs of reflective practice in the classroom setting and 200 hrs of pastoral supervised placement. Upon successful completion chaplains gain an international accredited qualification in healthcare chaplaincy.
