Welsh Assembly members urged to rethink hospital chaplains
NSS member Alan Rogers, who has been urging the setting up of charitable trusts to pay for hospital chaplains in Wales, has written to Assembly members urging them to support his campaign. His action comes after the Welsh Assembly scrutiny committee produced a highly critical report on neonatal services in Wales, and lack of resources to support them.
Alan sent a message headed: “Resources for Neonatal Care: Would another £1.3 million every year help?” The message said: “Each and every year the Wales NHS spends £1.3 million pounds of its precious budget on chaplaincy. The religious care of patients could and should be funded by a charitable trust.
“Neonatal Care in Wales was extensively criticised by the Welsh Assembly, Health and Wellbeing scrutiny committee in a Report published in July 2010. Money released by the charitable funding of hospital chaplaincy would enable the Wales NHS to improve neonatal care in respect of many of the eighteen recommendations made by the scrutiny committee. Please help with this campaign.