Madam, – As an Irish hospital chaplain, I read Mark Hennessy’s London Letter (“If you want spiritual help, die only between nine and five”, July 1st) with great interest. He may as well have been writing about the situation here in Ireland vis-a-vis hospital chaplains and the HSE embargo on appointing chaplains to vacant posts throughout the country.
Chaplains – lay, priests and religious – offer invaluable service to anyone seeking their professional help within a hospital setting, most particularly patients receiving end-of-life care, those in trauma situations within the hospital, along with their relatives, and any hospital staff that the chaplain feels they can be of service to.
Everyone is acutely aware that cutbacks are necessary in a poor economic climate. However, there are two areas that should be immune to cutbacks, namely health and education. If there is one area of life where we need all the assistance we can get, surely that is the area of “end of life”, which we will all reach some day. I pray I will have the expertise of a caring chaplain by my side when my time comes and that my family will be led gently forward with their great sensitivity and professionalism. – Yours, etc,