Spiritual and pastoral care

How can we help you?

A compassionate service

We are here to meet the spiritual and person-centred needs of patients, their visitors and staff of all faiths and beliefs. If you would like to speak confidentially to someone, we can offer compassionate support.

Our hospitals and community hubs are here to care for the whole person, not just your medical, clinical and physical needs. Being in hospital can be a time of pain and distress, cure and relief, fear and hope, loss and celebration. We have a specially trained team of people who are here to listen and support you in a caring and non-judgemental way.

We are a multi-faith and belief team and work with local faith and beliefs groups to arrange proper spiritual, pastoral and religious care for our patients.

You can phone us directly using the ‘Contact Us’ details below. All of our chaplains provide generic chaplaincy support throughout the Trust. You can also request a bedside visit from a chaplain of your own faith or ask to see our Humanist  Pastoral Carer.

The team can offer:

• regular visits by a chaplain, pastoral carer or one of our trained and accredited chaplaincy volunteers
• a professional listening ear for needs, anxieties and concerns
• Holy Communion on the wards
• collaborative working with local faith and belief groups, as well as other members of multi-disciplinary teams
• quiet space in our multi-faith and prayer rooms
• a monthly memorial service at Florence Nightingale Hospice
• memorial or funeral services
• regular religious services 

Multi-faith and prayer rooms can be located at:

• Amersham Hospital located on the ground floor near the restaurant. Open 24 hours
• Stoke Mandeville Hospital located on the first floor, above main restaurant. Open 24 hours
• Wycombe Hospital located on the ground floor, first right inside the main entrance. Open 6am-10pm

Religious services

Stoke Mandeville Hospital

Holy Communion and prayer are on request. Christian Worship Services are held bi-weekly. Please see the notice board outside of the prayer room for announcements, or ask a team member for further information.

Florence Nightingale Hospice

The chaplain based in the hospice is part of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team. Holy Communion and prayer on request.

Wycombe & Amersham Hospital

Holy Communion and prayer are on request

Muslim Prayers

Friday prayers are held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital & Wycombe Hospital at 1:15pm. Prayer mats available in all multi-faith and prayer rooms.

Mindfulness & Meditation

Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Monday mindfulness & meditation, every first Monday of the month, 12-12.30pm.

Wycombe Hospital
Monday mindfulness & meditation, every last Monday of the month, 12-12.30pm.

Other services
Annual service of baby remembrance: a service for all who have lost babies during pregnancy, this is usually held at 3pm on the second Sunday of October to coincide with national baby loss awareness week.

The venue will change each year, rotating between Amersham, Aylesbury, and High Wycombe.

Roman Catholic chaplaincy

Sacraments can be brought to patients on request. Please contact the chaplain's office for further information.

Free resources for patients and visitors

Bibles, Qurans and Common Prayer books are available in the prayer rooms of our hospitals. Please ask if you require a copy.  A variety of pastoral cards, holding crosses and rosaries are also available for you to take home or pass to a loved one.

Contact Us

Lead Chaplain  & Humanist pastoral carer: Lindsay van Dijk

Stoke Mandeville & Buckingham Hospitals
01296316675

Wycombe & Amersham Hospitals
01494425072

Florence Nightingale Hospice
01296332600
Rev Carole Hough

There is always a chaplain on call in case of emergency 24 hours a day. Please contact the hospital telephone operator and ask for the duty chaplain.

Bereavement Administration Service

Losing a loved one can be a difficult time and we aim to make post-death arrangements as easy as possible. After the doctor has a completed a medical certificate, a bereavement officer will contact the next of kin. They'll arrange for the death certificate and any personal belongings to be collected.

We are more than happy for you to see your loved one in the Chapel of Rest but this must be done by prior arrangement. We can also provide other information that might be helpful such as lists of local funeral directors, cemeteries/crematorium and local counselling organisations.

The bereavement office in Stoke Mandeville Hospital is open from 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday.
Please call: 01296 316646

The bereavement office in Wycombe Hospital is open from 9am-12noon, Monday to Friday.
Please call: 01494 425233

If you would like to speak to someone outside of the Wycombe Hospital office hours, please call the Stoke Mandeville number.

All deaths that occur at Amersham are dealt with by the Wycombe Hospital bereavement office.