Members of the Spiritual Care Team work on an open basis with people of any faith or philosophy of life and those of no religious belief. They have a responsibility to respond positively to any member of the hospital community of patients, staff, visitors and volunteers.
Many people welcome spiritual care when they have a serious illness, or their health is changing. This is especially true when individuals are:
- looking for help to understand their illness or treatments
- coming to terms with an illness and searching for meaning
- dealing with feelings of anxiety, uncertainty or distress
- facing difficult questions about life, grief or other feelings about death
- caring for someone whose health is getting worse.
Referrals
The Spiritual Care Service can support individuals in the context of illness, injury or loss. The Service provides a 24-hour service. Within office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) referrals to the Spiritual Care Team can be made by phone or by email: loth.spiritualcare@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
- Royal Edinburgh Hospital: 0131 537 6516 (Ex 46516 )
- Royal Hospital for Children and Young People: 0131 312 0168 (Ex 50168)
- Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh: 0131 242 1990 (Ex 21990)
- St John’s Hospital, Livingston: 01506 552 1888 (Ex 52188)
- Western General Hospital: 0131 537 1402 (Ex 31402)
Urgent Referrals
If the referral is URGENT or is out with core hours, please contact the main NHS Lothian Switchboard and ask for the on-call Chaplain.
Where the request is for an urgent visit from a Roman Catholic Priest (e.g. end of life support or for Sacrament of the Sick) then staff should contact Main Switchboard and ask for the On-call Priest for their site.
