Bishop of Thetford to visit renal patients at NNUH

The Bishop of Thetford, the Right Revd. David Atkinson, will be visiting the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Wednesday March 4th.

The main purpose of his visit is to meet with staff and patients on the renal unit. Rhonwen Washford, one of the staff nurses on Langley Ward at the NNUH, has recently been ordained and the Bishop has expressed an interest in her work here in the hospital.

Eleanor Langan, hospital chaplain said “We are delighted that a leading Church figure should wish to understand and affirm the excellent care we offer renal patients here at the NNUH”.

Bishop David will also meet with the chaplaincy team and some volunteers and then preside at a service of Holy Communion at 12 noon in the hospital chapel.

After that he will go to the Jack Pryor Renal Unit, where he will meet a range of health professionals with different roles within the department. These people will come from different faiths and spirtual perspectives and the Bishop hopes to understand how the hospital cares for those with kidney failure. Some of the patients will have treatment over years and there are particular pressures for staff around the care of those reaching the end of life.

Finally at about 1.30 pm the Bishop will be invited to meet patients who are receiving their dialysis treatment before leaving the hospital around 2pm.