News and publications from the UKBHC and other bodies, including palliative care partnerships, and chaplaincy, professional, or religious organisations.

The AHPCC doesn’t exist in isolation; we are part of the UKBHC and the Chaplaincy Forum, and we also represent hospice and palliative care chaplains in several groups, both in the UK and in Europe. This page seeks to keep you informed of current developments in the wider world of healthcare chaplaincy as well as giving ready access to some back copies.

You can find UKBHC resources and newsletters on their website.

Latest News

Chaplaincy Forum

The Chaplaincy Forum for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care in Health met on the 4th November. The following points are shared as a summary of the meeting.

• The group discussed the workforce call for evidence – with a commitment from Forum members- UKBHC, CHCC, Network for Pastoral, Spiritual & Religious Care in Health (NPSRCH) (but not NHS England) to submit evidence before the deadline
• There was a discussion about agenda for change job profiles for chaplains – we’re looking to engage with NHS Employers about this, the current profiles haven’t been updated since first published over 20 years ago and only go up to Band 7. Many senior chaplains are band 8A or above. There is a precedent as other healthcare occupations have had job profiles updated recently.
• There was agreement that the chaplaincy groups present within the forum would look to tackle the trusts without chaplaincy teams with further conversations to take place in due course. This may involve the different chaplaincy bodies writing as one with an agreed approach.
• There was a look back at the Theory of Change which was created at the start of the Forum’s latest guise, and there was recognition that the TOC is still relevant, but also how are the forum has come in the last few years to connect conversations about chaplaincy across different organisational boundaries
• There was a conversation about how Chaplaincy can be celebrated more generally.
• CHCC outlined their current workstreams with a focus on leadership, research and supervision.

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC)

Scotland’s healthcare is similar to the rest of the UK, but structured entirely separately. Scotland has its own NHS, and its own Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPCC), in which the AHPCC is well represented. While the SPPC is concerned with all aspects of palliative care, spiritual care features quite often.

European Research Institute for Chaplaincy in Healthcare (ERICH)

The AHPCC works with ERICH, supporting research into spiritual care. This involvement also gives us some helpful insight into the very different models of healthcare chaplaincy that exist throughout Europe. ERICH hosts a Conference every two years, and publishes occasional Newsletters.

Faith in Older People (FiOP)

Faith in Older People is an Edinburgh-based charity that promotes spiritual care for older people. Much of its concern is for dementia and mental health; it also works actively to build links between healthcare services and faith communities, and runs regular training events.

As of March 2021, The Chaplaincy Forum Terms of Reference are now available

2020 Publications

SPPC 1 June 2020 – Covid-19 Update.
SPPC 1 May 2020 – Covid19 Bulletin
FiOP April 2020 Newsletter
SPPC 5 April 2020 – Covid19 Bulletin
ERICH April 2020 Report
SPPC 23 March 2020 – Covid19 Bulletin
SPPC February 2020 Bulletin
FiOP February 2020 Newsletter
SPPC January 2020 Bulletin

Publications for the previous five years

UKBHC November 2020 Newsletter
UKBHC Summer 2019 Newsletter
UKBHC January 2019 Newsletter
UKBHC Summer 2018 Newsletter
UKBHC August 2017 Newsletter
UKBHC January 2017 Newsletter
CLF (Chaplaincy Leadership Forum) ‘Future of Chaplaincy’ minutes 2013-2016 – Developments between chaplaincy organisations and NHS England
UKBHC April 2016 Newsletter
eHospice (USA), (2016) Evidence-based quality indicators for spiritual care
UKBHC December 2015 Newsletter