Hospitals and the NHS
It's over five weeks since my last blog. This gap mainly due to Hannelore's entry to hospital following a series of disasters.
She has been very ill indeed and is only just beginning to realise how confusing it has been for her with low oxygen, infections, temperatures, broken days and nights due other patients being noisy and interruptive.
A mixed blessing was her move to a single room following a hospital infection. This has meant quiet and some very good nursing, although the team is short, often with two patients waiting for attention whilst others are seen to. Surely it cannot be normal for 10 - 15 minutes to elapse before a nurse answers the call for attention?
However shortage of staff seems to be the rallying cry of the nurses - and I agree.
A real blessing has been the attention of our friends and colleagues in prayer for Hannelore and the family and her helper. Lots of prayer going on at our own church in the Guild of St. Raphael (see also http://www.guild-of-st-raphael.org.uk/) at St. Mary's Church, Thorpe, the Russian Orthodox monks of St. Edward's Brotherhood at Broookwood not only listing her needs although she is not orthodox but praying for in their services (including major festivals), and lighting a candle, and a prayer group in Sydney Australia led by a colleague's wife from O.F.F. (The Order of Fighting Fathers). Now the Sisters at Rempstone have added us both to their prayer list in their role as intercessors for the Guild of St. Raphael.
Our thanks go to them all. It is a huge strength and support giving us confidence that we are not alone but have support from God's Church at large and in particular.
It is ironic and rather nice that not so long ago I had a piece published in the religious and counselling media about the way in which those who are prayed for recover more quickly according to several well-thought-out pieces of research.
She has been very ill indeed and is only just beginning to realise how confusing it has been for her with low oxygen, infections, temperatures, broken days and nights due other patients being noisy and interruptive.
A mixed blessing was her move to a single room following a hospital infection. This has meant quiet and some very good nursing, although the team is short, often with two patients waiting for attention whilst others are seen to. Surely it cannot be normal for 10 - 15 minutes to elapse before a nurse answers the call for attention?
However shortage of staff seems to be the rallying cry of the nurses - and I agree.
A real blessing has been the attention of our friends and colleagues in prayer for Hannelore and the family and her helper. Lots of prayer going on at our own church in the Guild of St. Raphael (see also http://www.guild-of-st-raphael.org.uk/) at St. Mary's Church, Thorpe, the Russian Orthodox monks of St. Edward's Brotherhood at Broookwood not only listing her needs although she is not orthodox but praying for in their services (including major festivals), and lighting a candle, and a prayer group in Sydney Australia led by a colleague's wife from O.F.F. (The Order of Fighting Fathers). Now the Sisters at Rempstone have added us both to their prayer list in their role as intercessors for the Guild of St. Raphael.
Our thanks go to them all. It is a huge strength and support giving us confidence that we are not alone but have support from God's Church at large and in particular.
It is ironic and rather nice that not so long ago I had a piece published in the religious and counselling media about the way in which those who are prayed for recover more quickly according to several well-thought-out pieces of research.