Children’s Hospital: The Chaplains

Reflecting on the BBC Two Television Series

Authors

  • Paul Nash Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Chaplaincy Team

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v3i2.26823

Keywords:

chaplains, television, social media, paediatric

Abstract

This article reflects on the experience of the chaplaincy team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital who were filmed for a six part series by the BBC, a national broadcaster in Great Britain. It draws on feedback from the chaplains, patients and families filmed, other staff who were not filmed, the BBC, social media and unsolicited feedback from a range of sources. It addresses the benefits (education and awareness raising, inspirational, promotional, confidence building, opportunity to reflect) and drawbacks (limited view of chaplaincy, impact on the team, impact on the work) of the programme learning from it and offers recommendations to consider for others who may be approached about a similar opportunity.

Author Biography

  • Paul Nash, Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Chaplaincy Team

    Revd Paul Nash is Senior Chaplain at Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHSFT and is the contact point for the Chaplaincy team featured in this article. He co founded and coconvenes the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network (GB & I) and teaches at the Midlands Institute for Children, Youth and Mission at St John’s College, Nottingham. The article is contributed on behalf of the Chaplaincy team.

References

Children’s Hospital: The Chaplains. Executive Producer: Julian Mercer. Salford: BBC Two, 26 October - 30 November 2014.

Guinn, J. and D. Perry (2005). The Sixteenth Minute: Life In the Aftermath of Fame. New York: Jeremy F. Tarcher/Penguin Group.

Published

2015-06-10

How to Cite

Nash, P. (2015). Children’s Hospital: The Chaplains: Reflecting on the BBC Two Television Series. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 3(1), 9-22. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v3i2.26823