Hospital's plan for 'spiritual' intrusion condemned by National Secular Society

The plan by a hospital Trust to “assess the spiritual needs of patients” on admission has been condemned by the National Secular Society.

The Southampton University Hospitals Trust has announced that people will be asked whether they have “any faith needs that can be supported during their stay”. Staff will also be required to undergo spiritual training from chaplains.

Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: “This sounds like the chaplains in the hospitals touting for business. It is a gross misuse of scarce National Health Service resources and an intrusion into the privacy of individuals who are coming to hospital for medical treatment. A recent Freedom of Information request showed that Southampton Universities Hospital Trust already spends over £280,000 on chaplaincy services. Presumably this new initiative will add even more to this bill.

“How on earth have we reached the stage that you can’t even go to hospital for treatment without having religion foisted on you like this?”

Mr Sanderson said that requiring staff to undergo “spiritual training” was also a waste of their precious time and a presumptuous recruitment of them into the services of the church.

“Nursing and medical staff are employed by the hospital to look after people’s health. They shouldn’t have to take on this burden, too. It is quite unnecessary. The chaplains at the hospital are being paid quite enough to cover this.”

Mr Sanderson said that “in these recessionary times it is a scandal that National Health Service money is being lavished on clerics of various religions. A full time chaplain costs as much as two nurses, and if asked which they would prefer, the vast majority of patients would opt for scarce hospital funds to be spent on front line care. There is scant evidence that the chaplaincy services are used to any great extent. Those who want religious support should seek it from their local place of worship, and the costs should not be borne by the hospital’s budget.”

Also see
'Spiritual' assessment condemned
BBC News

4 March 2009