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From:
The Bishop of Gloucester (Chair of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council)
Health
Care Chaplaincy and the Church of England - a review of the work
of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council
As you
will know, some months ago I commissioned a review of the Hospital
Chaplaincies Council and its work. The review was intended to help
the Church of England think more clearly about its ministry and mission
in the context of the National Health Service, so that it can offer
more flexible chaplaincy support and contribute better to the ongoing
debates about the professionalisation, accreditation and training
of healthcare chaplains. I was also aware of the long-standing tensions
between different bodies representing healthcare chaplains and asked
the review to look at what the Church of England could do to foster
more helpful relationships.
The report of the Review Group is now
available and at
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/socialpublic/hccreview2010/hccreview2010.pdf
I am
very grateful to the many chaplains and others whose responses to
the Review Group's questions are reflected in the report.
The
report recommends that the existing Hospital Chaplaincies Council
be replaced by a small reference group of expert members. Day to
day support for chaplains will continue to be offered by MPA whilst
the Medical Ethics and Health/Social Care Policy Officer will cover
chaplaincy policy along with the Church's wider engagement with
the NHS. The Archbishops are asked to consider appointing a lead
bishop for healthcare issues.
Chaplaincy
bodies such as the College of Healthcare Chaplains (CHCC) and the
UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC) are assured of the Church
of England's willingness to work with them on the issues facing
chaplains and to develop channels conducive to two-way support and
information.
It is
important to bear in mind that he report, though thorough, is not
a final authoritative statement about the Church of England's involvement
in health care chaplaincy. But I believe it makes a useful contribution
to future directions and developments.
+Michael Gloucester
The
Review Group comprised:
Dame
Janet Trotter (chair) - Chair of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust
Revd Professor Stephen Pattison - Professor of Religion, Ethics
and Practice, University of Birmingham
Revd Mia Hilborn - Head of Spiritual Health Care and
Chaplaincy Team Leader, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust,
Chair of the College of Healthcare Chaplains, London Region
Revd Dr Malcolm Brown (secretary) - Director of Mission and Public
Affairs, Archbishops' Council
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