Scottish Executive funding awarded to Aberdeen to research the spiritual needs of NHS patients

Dr John Swinton and Dr Harriet Mowat, from the School of Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, have been awarded a £90,000 grant from the Scottish Executive. The funding will be used to carry out an 18-month research project exploring the role of the hospital chaplain in providing spiritual care within the NHS.

The research is the first of its kind in Scotland and promises to address new challenges and possibilities for holistic care. The research is intended to support and highlight the complex work of the hospital chaplain and to develop the chaplain service within the NHS.

Dr Swinton, said: "Currently there is little research that describes the work of chaplains in NHS Trusts in Scotland. This is surprising, bearing in mind the crucial role of the chaplain in the delivery of spiritual care in hospitals. The purpose of the research is to provide the information to underpin the development of sensitive, appropriate and sustainable services to meet patient's spiritual needs as part of their general well-being in relation to health."

The study will look at the current role of the hospital chaplain in the context of the changing circumstances in which spiritual health care is received. The information will provide the basis upon which Trusts can develop their spiritual care services and will support chaplains in the tasks of change and development. The study is part of a series of innovative research projects exploring issues of spirituality and healthcare currently ongoing on within Practical Theology at the University of Aberdeen.