Queen’s Hospital welcomes new chaplain
The new Queen's Hospital Lead Chaplain Philip Wright, with Peter Hill, Bishop of Barking at the licensing ceremony. - Credit: Archant
Whether giving spiritual guidance or talking football, Queen’s Hospital’s new chaplain is ready to comfort those going through the toughest of times.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust swore in Rev Philip Wright during a licensing ceremony at St. Luke’s chapel, Queen’s Hospital, on Monday.
In a service attended by ministers from across Essex and east London, Rev Peter Hill, Bishop of Barking, made the 46-year-old responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of the trust’s two hospitals, Queen’s Hospital in Rom Valley Way, Romford and King George Hospital in Goodmayes.
Speaking to the Recorder after the ceremony. Rev Wright said: “It’s a huge honour. I’ve been doing the job since January 7, so I’ve had a few weeks to get used to it.
“It’s emotionally draining, but we’ve got a great team here. If any of us have a difficult moment we sit down, have a coffee and talk about it.”
You may also want to watch:
He and his team encounter difficult moments daily as they try to comfort the sick and grieving, but Rev Wright thinks people misunderstand the chaplains’ role within the hospital.
He said: “These are people at their lowest, looking to make sense of their lives, and we just try to help them.
Most Read
- 1 Consultations open on rolling out school streets to 12 new sites
- 2 Harold Hill 18-year-old given suspended sentence for ATM robberies
- 3 Coffee shop apologises for 'mis-post' offering kitten as Christmas prize
- 4 Romford MP slams Crossrail delay as it will miss Queen's platinum jubilee
- 5 'Cheating surge': Dating site reveals how many people are having affairs in your area
- 6 Future of bus route hangs in the balance as consultation ends
- 7 Met Office warns of flooding risk with heavy rain set to hit London
- 8 Cabinet to vote on proposed changes to how housing is allocated in Havering
- 9 Man charged with multiple child exploitation offences to stand trial
- 10 Shaken Not Stirred: James Bond fan co-founds group and brings thousands of 007 lovers together
“If they’re religious, that’s an easy way in. But for others it can be as simple as chatting to them about football. I’m a season ticket holder at West Ham, sometimes that opens doors.
“It’s about finding a way to make that person comfortable expressing themselves.”
