Chaplaincy

As a Trust, we are committed to deliver holistic care to our patients, visitors and staff. The Chaplaincy service offers spiritual, religious and pastoral support for people of all faiths and no faith. We passionately believe that the Chaplaincy Service is for everyone and seek to ensure that each patient, visitor, service user or staff member has access to spiritual support that is right for them.

The trust-wide chaplaincy service is primarily based at Airedale General Hospital. There is a linked service for patients and staff at Castleberg Hospital, and we also provide a service to the mental health wards on the Airedale site, which are the responsibility of Bradford District NHS Care Trust.

The chaplaincy at Airedale is staffed by a team of Christian, Buddhist and Muslim chaplains, with added support from community religious leaders as well as trained volunteers

How can you arrange to see a chaplain?

If you would like a visit from a chaplain, please tell a member of staff. Alternatively, a message can be left on the chaplaincy answerphone: 01535 294088 or extension 4088 (from an internal hospital phone). Referrals are welcomed from clergy and faith leaders. There is usually a chaplain based at Airedale Hospital on week days from 9-4pm. If a chaplain is required urgently, please contact the hospital switchboard on 01535 652511, and they will contact the duty chaplain.

Chaplaincy Rooms

There is a Chapel at Airedale Hospital, which is situated near to the West Entrance of the Hospital at location C2.  Staff, patients and visitors use it for personal prayer. There is also an area set aside for non-religious reflection with resources set out for this purpose.

There is a Muslim Prayer Room at location C3. It has washing facilities and a curtain, so that women may pray in privacy.
The Chapel and Prayer Room are open 24 hours per day and provide spaces for prayer, reflection, and times of quiet. Please feel free to use these facilities, which are here for you.

What opportunities are there for prayer and attendance at services?

Due to Covid, our regular services are not happening at the moment, with the exception of:

Friday Prayers for Muslims (staff only) in The Chapel. Please see the notice within the Prayer Room for the current time.

We hold a bi-monthly Memorial Service for children lost in pregnancy and the burial of foetal remains, which are by invitation. Further information about these services is available from the Chaplaincy office.

For those who would like prayers to be said for a particular patient or situation, there is a prayer tree in the Chapel with paper ‘leaves’ and pens on which patients, relatives, visitors and staff, may leave a prayer message. Each week, these requests are prayed for by the chaplains.

Quiet Spaces

If you are in the hospital as a patient or visitor, you may find you need somewhere quiet to sit and reflect. There are many spaces available to do this throughout the hospital – not just limited to the chapel and prayer room. Please ask a member of staff for your nearest one.