United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) hopes that the room will help to improve the spiritual wellbeing of patients and their families, especially when they may be facing a difficult time in their life.
Professor Tanweer Ahmed, Chair of the ULHT Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Staff Equality Network, has worked closely with other teams from within the hospital to transform an old office area into the multi-faith prayer room, complete with the Trust’s first purpose-built washroom in accordance with Muslim rituals.
Professor Ahmed, who is also Chairman of the Islamic Association of Lincoln, which has recently built and opened the Lincoln Central Mosque and Cultural Centre, said: “This multi-faith prayer room gives us a spiritual space where patients and their families can seek a moment of peace and calmness. It’s a fantastic addition to the hospital and one that I and other members of staff look forward to using.
“I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this special space a reality and I look forward to the seeing the difference it is going to make.”
The room also has an area that can provide privacy for women in accordance with some religious practise.
The Trust’s Chief Executive, Jan Sobieraj, added: “Having space and peace to reflect can help us when we are at our most vulnerable, which is why we were delighted to be able to support the creation of this room. This is a very special space for contemplation, for reflection and for prayer, it is somewhere our patients and their families can come to when facing difficult times.”
People from all over the county visit Lincoln County Hospital and the multi-faith prayer room is conveniently situated between the main reception and the existing chapel, opposite the intensive care unit.
The official opening for the hospital’s new multi-faith prayer room will take place on Wednesday 27 March.