| SACH Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare |
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| SACH Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare |
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 Updated 15 Jan 2000 |
SACH
News Sheet No 4 Contents |
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"As chaplains in today’s health care setting we expect that we will be able to support staff in the midst of their uncertainty"
"Even the simple and honest exchange of experience, hopes, fears and ideas can help. We hope that SACH will enable this kind of exchange"
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A letter from the Acting President Anne Harper Chaplain at Glasgow Royal Infirmary
In The Midst of Great Change How long has it been since we have not had to say that the NHS is in the midst of great change, and will there ever again be a time when life for Health Care professionals seems settled and secure? The ability to adapt rapidly and frequently to radical change is now of course a professional skill and we can attend seminars and go on courses to improve and update that skill. Be that as it may, frequent major changes still make life difficult for many people, though there will always be some who thrive on the challenge. In the North Glasgow University NHS Trust (I’ve just had to check the name again to make sure I’m getting it right!), as in every other Trust, staff endured the uncertainty of the original move to Trusts, then the announcement that these Trusts would be merged, which led into the planning phase, the shadowing period and then the actual implementation. We are now waiting to learn what this will mean in very practical terms for the services provided by the various units within this new Trust. With two major acute units in the form of the Western Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary any badly conducted negotiations along the way could have resulted in a political version of two juggernauts colliding at high speed. A “fly-on-the-wall docu-soap” might have found fertile territory in the midst of the many hours of planning and discussion. The uncertainty, however, is probably greatest for those in the less major units. The part-time chaplains at Stobhill, which is now also part of the Trust, report that staff morale is very low, for it is certain that some specialist work will move from Stobhill to Glasgow Royal and rumours abound that more work than anticipated will be moving off-site. Therefore, in the North Glasgow University Trust we await the documents which will confirm or dispel fears, which will lift morale or lower it yet further, setting out a policy which will probably be both exciting and depressing. Our experience is not unique and it is important that we know this. As chaplains in today’s health care setting we expect that we will be able to support staff in the midst of their uncertainty, for it is they who pay the price of all this progress, but we too are caught up in the changes and often in our own varying degrees of uncertainty. Even the simple and honest exchange of experience, hopes, fears and ideas can help. We hope that SACH will enable this kind of exchange and so help to prevent the price paid by any one of us becoming too high. |
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Reactions to the Journal "positive" and "complementary"
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Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy The Latest edition of the Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy was published in October 1999. Reaction to the last edition (the first full edition) has been very positive and complimentary. Unfortunately, due to a large and unexpected increase in his teaching workload John is having to step down as editor. He will remain on the editorial team, however, and is offering his successor/s significant “hands on” support. The Editorship is now in the hands of Rev David Mitchell and Rev Georgina Nelson. Individuals and institutions have already bought into the Journal and a number of copies now travel to Ireland, America, Canada and Hungary. A Journal flier has been prepared and printed and will be included in the next ABTAPL mailing (Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries). A larger circulation would help to offset the production costs but a much greater benefit could come from increasing the dialogue - range, depth and volume of articles. |
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Developments at Glasgow Royal Infirmary The progression of new building works should at least be something to celebrate and for those on the Glasgow Royal site that is certainly the case (apart from the escalation of the parking problem). The architects’ drawings for the new Royal Maternity and the Trauma and Plastics Unit were recently put on display for staff to view. Both are impressive projects: the Maternity on five levels with greatly improved facilities and about 50% extra beds; the Trauma Unit on three levels with an awe-inspiring A&E capacity. The next few years will be an exciting time to be involved in the life of Glasgow Royal. It is, however, inevitable that our gain will be someone else’s loss and unfortunately that is the story of the NHS in these times of yet more change. |
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The 1999 AGM took place in October
Rev Anne Harper elected President of SACH
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The Annual General Meeting and Study Day took place on Tuesday 26 October 1999 at St John's Hospital, Livingston. The afternoon study session on: “Communicating Under Difficulty” was led by Angela Moar (Speech & Language Therapy Department,Glasgow Royal Infirmary) Ann Harper was confirmed as President of SACH for the next year at this year's AGM |
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A Whole-time Training Officer for Scotland? A large working group made up of representatives from different denominations and the professional bodies has completed a written proposal to promote the idea of appointing a whole-time National Healthcare Training and Development Officer for Scotland. The hope, under a very tight timescale, is that the proposal can be forwarded in November to the Scottish Executive, Department of Health via the Scottish Churches Committee on Healthcare Chaplaincy with the backing of the various denominations and a representative of other faiths. |
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SACH continues to channel
most of its training effort through Fred Coutts, Healthcare Chaplaincy Training Officer
for Scotland.
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SACH continues to channel most of its training effort through Fred Coutts, Healthcare Chaplaincy Training Officer. This means offering him practical support as he plans, prepares for and presents a variety of training opportunities. It is important for on-going professional and personal development that members try to attend appropriate training events at both local and national level. If you have attended a conference or study day, or heard a speaker, that you found particularly good or challenging, especially south of the border or abroad, then let Fred know about it. Or why not write a few lines for the next edition of News Sheet, or a longer article for the Journal. | |||||||||||||
Happy
Birthday
Jeanette Jenkins is Chaplain to the Ayrshire Hospice and also Treasurer of SACH
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Ayrshire Hospice -
The Ayrshire Hospice was officially opened by the Duchess of Kent on 20 June 1989, so this year was our 10th Anniversary. This year also saw the opening of our new extended premises for Education, Day Care and Home Care and these were officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester on 3 June 1999. So this has been a year of celebrations. The main event was a great “Songs of Praise” on 20 June 1999 in the Grand Hall, Kilmarnock to celebrate and give thanks for the many blessings of these last years. It was attended by around 700 people who enjoyed singing with and listening to the Kilmarnock Concert Brass and a specially formed “Ayrshire Hospice Choir” made up of staff, volunteers, and friends. Various members of staff and volunteers also shared their experience of the hospice over these ten years. It was a truly inspiring and moving afternoon and no less because the offering taken up came to £1095, which was donated to the Shepherd’s Hospice in Sierra Leone, who have suffered much recently, due to the local political situation. This was sent to them as a token of our thanks to God for the many blessings we have received and our prayers for an end to the troubles there and that their work may also be richly blessed. Jeanette Jenkins |
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Ian writes about his visit to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the City Hospital in Nottingham.
".... the sheer physical and emotional demands made upon the patient by the treatment."
“They travel to hell and back to survive,”
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By Ian McDonald, Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy I took advantage of the Study Leave Scheme this summer and made a visit to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the City Hospital in Nottingham. This is where some of our patients requiring a matched unrelated Donor (MUD) transplant have to visit. The idea for the study was triggered by patients I had met requiring a BMT. The prospect and opportunity of a transplant seems to come with considerable emotional investment, not a little anxiety, a great deal of expectation and a deep, deep hope for recovery. I stayed in the patient hotel and over three days on the unit met with a variety of staff. I had prepared certain “core” questions which I used as a guide during interviews In reflecting upon my visit certain themes emerged. I was struck time and time again by the strong motivation and commitment which staff shared for their work. The area of BMT is one of strong challenge in which staff are stimulated by the ever present potential for development in the treatment and initiative for change. At present, for example, Nottingham is participating in a trial using peripheral stem cells in MUD transplants. At the heart of the work, of course, are the patients, described to me as very special people, often on the edge of their experience and desperate to hold on to life. The need for sensitive care and support is there, not only in the run up to the transplant and immediately after but in the days that follow as patients struggle to cope with readjustment and an array of emotions, thoughts and fears. A recurring theme in conversation with staff was the sheer physical and emotional demands made upon the patient by the treatment. “They travel to hell and back to survive,” was how one member of staff reflected on the treatment process. Where in the midst of all this does the chaplain stand? Ours is a lonely position in the great team game of healthcare. We are seldom found where the action is or the decisions are made and yet our very powerlessness is itself a source of healing. At times the need is for that kind of companion, not the expert or the specialist but the sideline supporter and friend.... |
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Chaplains retire and new chaplains appointed
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We said farewell to Derek Haley in the summer on his retirement from Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow. Derek has now been replaced by Cameron Langlands, while Keith Saunders is pioneering the newly created whole-time post at the Western in Glasgow. Further south, Sandy Strachan is settling into the post vacated by John Johnston at Dumfries. A second whole-time chaplain has been appointed at the Western General in Edinburgh. Sandy Young will be working there with Melville Schofield by the end of the year. |
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Visit the Scottish Palliative Care Chaplains pages on the Healthcare Chaplaincy Training Website
Next Palliative Care Day: |
Another successful day for chaplains working in Palliative Care was held on 17 June at Strathcarron Hospice. 28 chaplains attended and heard Dr Sinead Donnelly speak on “Folklore associated with death and dying”. This was followed by a time of opportunity to share in groups issues pertaining to our work. After a very enjoyable lunch we were introduced to the “mysteries” of Neuro Linguistic Programming by Dr Pat Mulcahy and had an interesting workshop on the subject. The day was voted a success by all and plans are already in hand for next year’s event, provisional date 21 June. |
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Words to ponder I’m reading again at present Sheila Cassidy’s book “Sharing the Darkness” and was struck afresh by the following words which I’d like to share with you :- “So the spirituality of those who care for the dying must be the spirituality of the companion, of the friend who walks alongside, helping, sharing and sometimes, just sitting, empty-handed, when he would rather run away. It is a spirituality of presence, of being alongside, watchful, available: of being there.” I commend these words, and the book to you. |
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Send material
for the next |
Rev Jeanette
Jenkins E-mail: ivanjen@lineone.net |
