The Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Trust is the recognised endorsing body for Buddhist Healthcare Chaplains and has been part of the NPSRCH since its inception

The Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Trust (originally Group) was formed in 2005 as a member of the Network (then called Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy). An early initiative was the establishment of Endorsement processes by all Faith Communities to quality assure NHS Trusts of the good standing of their members steping forward to work as Healthcare Chaplains.

A recent publication from the NETWORK in 2018 summarised the approaches to Endorsement taken by all major world faith and belief groups: ‘Endorsement of NHS Pastoral, Spiritual & Religious (Chaplaincy) Staff and Volunteers: A Practical Guide’.(use button below to access resource page and the publication)

The NETWORK includes elected representatives from each of the following Faith / Belief communities: Bahai, Buddhist, Catholic, C of E, Free Churches, Jain, Jewish, Hindu, Non-religious Pastoral Carers and Sikh – see http://network-health.org.uk/

The aims of the Network are to support the development of high-quality person-centred pastoral, spiritual and religious care services across the NHS in England and to ensure equal access for all patients regardless of religion and belief to pastoral, spiritual, and religious care services. As a Network, it is our mission to promote the moral and practical rationale for inclusive provision to increasing service uptake for disadvantaged groups.

More recently the Network commissioned a further report ‘Fit for the Twenty First Century? The State of Inclusion for Acute NHS Chaplaincy Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care Services in England (2019)’. The report draws together the growing number of data sources that highlight the inequalities for those of different religions and beliefs highlights in accessing this sort of care (the report is available on our Resource page, use the button below).