Ward chaplains' data law concerns

Catholic hospital chaplains in the Archdiocese of Birmingham fear data protection laws are stopping them from visiting some of their worshippers.

More than 30 have issued a statement calling for cooperation from hospitals to help them fulfil their duties.

They want to be told if there are Catholic patients on wards saying some hospitals are no longer giving them ready access to such information.

Nobody from the hospital trusts could be contacted for a comment.

The archdiocese has also urged Catholics to say if they want to see their own chaplain.

The statement reads: "As Catholic chaplains we are deeply concerned that the needs of Catholics in hospitals throughout England and Wales are not always being met."

'Missing people'

The archdiocese covers the counties of West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

Father Jeremy Howard, the archdiocese's health care advisor, said before the introduction of the Data Protection Act access to information about patients was readily available.

"It depends on the staff whether they see it as a priority (to inform chaplains of a Catholic patient). In a secular country the needs of Catholics are becoming less understood and there is a risk that they are not able to practice their faith," he said.

He said in some cases it is left to patients to ask for their information to be passed on to chaplains.

"We are worried about missing people. Sometimes people think they are only going in for a short time but something more serious is discovered or they are confused or seriously ill when they go in," he said.