| SACH Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare |
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| SACH Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare |
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SACH
News Sheet No 8
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The new maternity unit of Glasgow Royal Infirmary has been receiving patients since early October and was officially opened by the Princess Royal on Wednesday 28 November. A small multi-faith chapel along with a waiting area is being created within the unit. The sanctuary area is no more than a good-sized living room but with no windows. In order to alleviate any sense of claustrophobia and also to incorporate some continuity from the chapel in the old maternity hospital at Rottenrow a stained glass window with back lighting is being installed. The window is in the "Glasgow" style, incorporating the typical Charles Rennie MacIntosh rose. The window has been removed from the old maternity chapel and is being repaired and mounted ready for installation within the new building. The furniture has been specially commissioned from a local furniture maker and the chairs are being embroidered by a branch of the Embroiderers' Guild. There will be no religious symbols within the chapel but carved into the wood furniture and embroidered on the chairs will be the snowdrop which is central to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary Maternity Nurses' training badge and which symbolises the birth of new life. The furniture is being funded by the Dorcas Society (see Acts 9.36ff) of the hospital which was founded in 1863 to “give help and comfort to patients both in hospital and during their convalescence”. So we haven't used money which might otherwise have been spent on additional incubators, or on any other essential equipment. Although the chapel is a very small area the aim is to provide a place of peace in the midst of a very busy unit, and for those who want it a place of prayer. It has been named “The Snowdrop Chapel” after much thought and discussion. Consultation with staff of different faiths and of none concluded that people within our catchment area would know immediately what a chapel is but might be puzzled about the purpose of a “quiet room”. If we have to change the description in the future we will do so, but for the moment it will be “The Snowdrop Chapel” - a place for people of all faiths to give thanks for the birth of a healthy child or to seek the re-birth of hope out of the dark winter of grief. For everyone who wishes to use it at any time we hope it will provide a haven of calm. Anne Harper |
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| "Stroke" is the theme for Study Day | ||||||||||||||
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A regular event in the calendar of the Aberdeen chaplains is the annual study day for part-time chaplains, usually held in November. This year, the topic was “Stroke” and was attended not only by whole-time and part-time chaplains, but also by a number of volunteer visitors who regularly contribute to the work of the department. The Grampian boundaries were also stretched to include participants from the north of Tayside. Sessions were led by one of our Speech and Language Therapists and the Sister of the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit, both of whom gave us a wealth of information about the affects of stroke and some very practical ideas to remember when visiting patients who have had a stroke. A couple of simple exercises enabled us to feel for ourselves the frustration of not being able to communicate clearly and properly. We were also privileged to hear from two ex-patients who spoke very openly and movingly about the affects of their experience both on themselves and their families. There was ample opportunity for questions and discussion. and all in all, the day was most beneficial to those who attended. Muriel Knox |
