Patient Wellbeing Support
At WholeCare, we believe patients receive the best care when they are supported by an integrated healthcare team that values the whole person. One way in which we have developed whole person healthcare is by providing chaplaincy in General Practice. With our considerable experience in General Practice, we have seen the profound impact of having a Chaplain as part of the team. Our goal is to help healthcare teams understand the unique role of Chaplaincy and integrate it effectively into their care models.
The Role of Chaplains in General Practice
For centuries, Chaplains have provided a compassionate presence, journeying with people in need and helping them find strength and hope. In British General Practice, Chaplains have been commissioned to provide holistic support under various guises over the years. These include: simply being called ‘Chaplaincy in General Practice’; Chaplains providing a ‘Listening and Guidance’ service; it being described as a specialism within ‘Social Prescribing’ arrangements; or even offered as part of ‘Health and Wellbeing Coaching’. At Wholecare, we tend to refer to it as Primary Healthcare Chaplaincy.
Whatever the title, at its core Primary Healthcare Chaplaincy is a talking therapy offering active listening, support and spiritual care provided by Healthcare Chaplains. It is holistic in its approach, recognising the importance of spiritual health and wellbeing and is available to people of all faiths and beliefs.
Chaplains in General Practice work to the professional standards set by the Association of Chaplaincy in General Practice in addition to other role specific standards. WholeCare draws on over 25 years of experience in the delivery and development of this unique service.
What to expect from an appointment with the Primary Healthcare Chaplain
Appointments are generous in time, lasting up to 50 minutes in length.
We don’t set a fixed number of sessions but allow patients to rebook appointments as and when they feel it is helpful.
We offer appointments either face to face (at your GP surgery) or by telephone.
At your first appointment, the Chaplain will explain more about the Listening & Guidance service.
The Chaplain will listen, reflect and ask a few questions for clarification and understanding.
Sometimes prayer may be offered at the end of an appointment.
Further steps and the possibility of another appointment will be discussed.
Previous feedback
We regularly assess the impact of our patient wellbeing support services through quantitative assessment of their wellbeing. We also ask for anonymous comments about how they found the service. Some of these comments are posted here.
‘Felt very easy and comfortable to talk, very quick to get an appointment once spoken with the GP and I liked the fact it was at my own GP practice so didn’t feel daunting being somewhere new or different.’
‘What I valued most in the listening therapy was the kindness and calm that came with just being heard. Having someone listen with genuinely kind eyes, without judgement or rushing to give solutions, created a space where I felt completely safe to open up. It wasn’t about being told what to do, but about having the freedom to let my thoughts flow. When I reached a block, gentle, thoughtful questions helped me find my own way forward. It was such a relief to simply be understood and given that space.’
‘It was very nice to be listened too and to have my strengths pointed out even in situations were I saw none. I found it very comforting‘
‘Even though I felt exhausted after my sessions I definitely felt a lot lighter after talking. I have recommended it to friends that are struggling’
‘It was very helpful to be able to open up about how I felt and all the worries I had about coping with life after my husband was diagnosed with early dementia’
Are you a GP, PCN or other commissioner of health and social care interested in providing this service to your patients?
We’d love to help! Please get in touch by contacting us.