Who should pay for chaplains in hospitals?

[Zygote]

From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7988476.stm

"Religious groups should fund their own presence in UK hospitals and save the NHS some £40m per year, the National Secular Society suggests.

The organisation of non-believers says such money would be better spent on "much needed" nurses or cleaners.

The NSS claims even organ players in hospital chapels are on NHS payrolls."


Who pays for religious personnel in U.S. hospitals or elsewhere?

[Cliché Guevara]

I don't know how it works here, but I do know we try to accommodate different cultures, languages and faiths in these kinds of places.

I think that it could easily be a combined effort if there were no bias. Partially funded by the state and partially privately funded for the benefit of the patient and their families. And regulated so that rich mega-churches can't push poor minority representation out (religious or secular) purely because of the power of their purse.

[LoneWolf]

I’m usually one of the first to get pissed off when it comes to religion overencroaching. But I have to admit it is difficult for me to get too stirred up over this. I suppose the churches should be paying for it. But I pick my battles and this wouldn’t be one I pick.

I also don't know how it works in the US.

[Ray Moscow]

I think if a chaplain is requested by patients or family, the hospital can call up a local minister of their preferred denomination. I see no need to have these people on "staff".

When my wife was in the hospital for surgery a few years ago, the nurses asked once if we wanted "to talk to someone", but they dropped the subject when we said "no".

Now, a trained secular counsellor would fit the bill better, IMO.

[Barefoot Bree]

The situation varies in the US, but no hospital chaplains are paid for by taxpayer funds, because we don't have "socialized" medicine.

Many hospitals are run by the big religious organizations. You'll find Holy Trinity Baptist Hospital, Memorial Lutheran, Our Lady Catholic, United Methodist Hospital, etc etc. Those hospitals will have chaplains on staff, paid for by the respective church.

Other hospitals are run by corporations, or by local governments - the City Hospitals you find here and there. Those don't have an on-staff chaplain. As Ray says, if a patient requests one, they will have lists of local community chaplains who have volunteered to be "on-call" for the hospital. Many of these hospitals do have little chapels tucked away inside them, but they aren't "staffed", just rooms set aside for that use.

This may be the first instance I've run across where the US healthcare system is better.

[Matty]

Partially funded by the state

Why should the state pay anything?

[Zygote]

I’m usually one of the first to get pissed off when it comes to religion overencroaching. But I have to admit it is difficult for me to get too stirred up over this. I suppose the churches should be paying for it. But I pick my battles and this wouldn’t be one I pick.


Religion can be effective in providing solace and support in times of stress. This could have a definite positive effect on patient outcomes. In this sense, it is a medical issue. After all, who wants to be the big blue meany who tells sick people that their gods aren't part of their medical care?


I think if a chaplain is requested by patients or family, the hospital can call up a local minister of their preferred denomination. I see no need to have these people on "staff".

Now, a trained secular counsellor would fit the bill better, IMO.


A secular counselor makes sense to me. There's such a large range of beliefs that would need to be covered with regard to an afterlife, reincarnation, administration of medications, appropriate treatment of a body or of organs for donation, etc. To cover them all would require a huge religious staff or a few who handle things very generically.

It would seem more effective to have a well trained secular psychologist on staff who is well versed in cultural needs and maybe has religious practitioners on call for such specific needs as last rites. It's a case of BYOB (Bring Your Own Buddha - or the equivalent).

It was much simpler when everyone in a community believed the same thing, of course. Then one person could administer to everyone's shared psychosocial/superstitious/spiritual perspective. Very efficient, that was.

[DMB]

Given that the NHS is short of money for all sorts of really important medical services, I think it is scandalous that they should have to pay for this sort of thing.

[sohy]

Medicare certified hospices are required to offer chaplain services. Medicare pays a daily rate for services, regardless of which disciplines are provided. This means that when a client receives hospice services, medicare reimbursement includes the provision of chaplain services.

[Zygote]

If you're a nonbeliever, can you pocket the chaplain fee?

[MrFungus420]

I’m usually one of the first to get pissed off when it comes to religion overencroaching. But I have to admit it is difficult for me to get too stirred up over this. I suppose the churches should be paying for it. But I pick my battles and this wouldn’t be one I pick.


Religion can be effective in providing solace and support in times of stress. This could have a definite positive effect on patient outcomes. In this sense, it is a medical issue. After all, who wants to be the big blue meany who tells sick people that their gods aren't part of their medical care?

Oh..ooh..Pick me!!!!