In the past
financial year, the Scottish Government and NES have funded the development
of pilot Community Chaplaincy Listening (CCL) Services within GP surgeries in
several health boards across Scotland
as part of a single action research project. CCL is part of a shift towards
developing spiritual care services in community settings in line with Scottish
Government spiritual care guidelines, the person -centred agenda of the Quality
Strategy and Shifting the Balance of Care.
In most health boards chaplains have been providing CCL services
although a few specially recruited, trained and supervised volunteers have also
been involved. CCL tries to enable patients to explore existential questions
and (re)discover their inner resources to help deal with times of adjustment
and loss in their lives.
The research aims to:
·
assess patient wellbeing following involvement with
the service
·
perform a cost benefit analysis in relation to
savings which the services may make in relation to prescribing, GP time and
hospitalisation.
In the coming year a continuation of CCL activity will enable pilot
projects to be embedded further and will enable more GP surgeries to be
involved in a wider range of health boards to provide this service.
A DVD is available from NES which includes feedback from the
stakeholders involved in the initial pilots - service users, GPs, a health
board medical director and chaplains.
This received very positive feedback when showcased at a national conference
held recently in Perth Concert Hall
Further information from: Ewan Kelly, Programme
Director for Healthcare Chaplaincy and Spiritual
Care email: ewan.kelly@nes.scot.nhs.uk
