New Bishop sees pressure on region’s main hospital
THE new Bishop of Plymouth has seen first-hand the pressures the NHS is facing on his first visit to Derriford Hospital since he started his new role.
The Right Reverend James Grier visited an oncology ward and the chaplaincy at the Plymouth hospital, meeting the team of chaplains and a representative from St Luke’s Hospice.
Bishop James praised the work of the staff he met. “In just one ward, I met staff from across the amazing diversity of roles that make up a hospital, including the ward clerk, cleaner, pharmacist, physio, nurses, doctors, health care assistants and St Luke’s Hospice team,” he said.
“All of them were so positive and welcoming in the midst of clearly working incredibly hard within the pressures of the demands of work in the NHS at this time. They also spoke with such passion about their work and the ward they were part of. They were an inspiration.”
Bishop James is no stranger to the NHS. His father was a GP in Plymouth, where he grew up, and his mother was a nurse. Derriford Hospital has an active chaplaincy team, known as the Department for Pastoral and Spiritual Care. It comprises around 100 volunteers and staff from different faiths and denominations who are on hand to support patients, visitors and staff. “The chaplaincy team here are very much about being there for everyone... whether they’re a person of faith or not,” Bishop James said.