The importance of religion in palliative care
Colleagues who deliver end of life care have received additional training to help them appropriately consider patients’ religious beliefs around death and the afterlife – both before and after their passing.
The NHS is a cradle to grave service, meaning that more often than not, an NHS colleague will be there for your first breath and your last. As well as physical care, it is important to us that we also focus on individuals’ religious beliefs and spiritual needs when the times comes.
According to recent data, the most commonly practised faiths in Birmingham were Christianity (46 per cent) and Islam (22 per cent), with many other faiths also observed by the diverse population of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Chaplaincy team manager Dan Langdon-Griffiths said that some Christians have more traditions than rules surrounding death. For example, a Catholic patient may want to have a final confession or receive their last rites before their death.
“Dying is something we will all do, and we all deserve a good experience of death. That’s why we care so much about getting it right.” he said.
Cultural support advisor Kumar Nag delivered training to staff at Moseley Hall and West Heath hospitals recently. Throughout the session, Kumar shared examples of patient-centred care such as how in Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths, verses from their respective holy books may be read to give comfort to their loved ones.
“How people die remains in the memory of those who live on.” he said.
Kumar and our chaplaincy team have set up stands at both hospitals this week so that colleagues can learn more about end-of-life care.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board have also created an end-of-life care toolkit. Visit their website for more information.
