Luketide Service at Newbury Community Hospital

On Sunday afternoon Carol collected me in the car and we drove the short distance to the hospital, in the pouring rain. The hospital's League of Friends organise this annual service, on the Sunday closest to St Lukes day, as St Luke was a doctor and he is a sort of patron saint of all things medical.

Father Bernard Dagnall of St John's Church in Newbury is the hospital chaplain, and took the service. As it was held in the waiting area for blood tests he joked that he hoped we had all taken a number - but reassured us we weren't about to be jabbed with a needle. It was a short straightforward service with a number of hymns (Sylvia Galbraith on the keyboards) and readings - from St Luke of course!

We had tea and biscuits afterwards, and I met members of the League of Friends and the Matron. I also met ex-Mayor Barbara McMahon for the first time. There is a real sense of the hospital belonging to the local community - because it does! (having been paid for by the trust set up to build it, and leased to the NHS under the PFI initiative).