ST LUKE'S HOSPITAL FOR THE CLERGY

It's all miracles here!

Have you heard of St Luke's Hospital for the Clergy? An amazing number of people do not know anything about us, and yet we have been here for over 100 years, serving clergy and their dependant families; monks and nuns; missionaries; and licensed lay workers, all within the Church of England, as well as the world-wide Anglican communion.

St Luke's is an acute surgical hospital, treating a large range of health problems. Of course we cannot carry out every kind of operation and treatment, but we do provide consultations and post-operative care for people undergoing major operations elsewhere in London. We have a network of Psychiatrists round the country, and we offer a regular couples counselling service. The General Secretary is a qualified counsellor, and regularly speaks to clergy groups about stress management. And all the time we make no charge to people who are eligible for free treatment at St Luke's.

We are only able to offer this unique service because some 220 leading London consultants give their time and talents to St Luke's completely free of charge. Even with this wonderful help, it costs nearly £350 to keep a patient here for a day. Our only financial support comes from charitable trusts, cathedrals, parishes, legacies, and donations. It is a constant struggle to keep going, but somehow we do. To quote our staff, "It's all miracles here!"

Of course, St Luke's would not be able to do its work without the continuous help of others, and we are more than grateful to everyone who supports us, both with money and with time and energy! We do not like having to ask for money all the time but we have no choice if we are to stay open - and as we are busier than ever, there is no let-up in our need for it. Our Donations Office is always willing to send out leaflets showing how to help St Luke's, and we can supply all your Christmas cards at a very reasonable rate.

This is the only free hospital in the country offering medical and psychiatric help to all these people. We know that we are valued, as we get many kind letters saying what a difference it has made to be treated in a hospital with such a lovely caring atmosphere. In fact some people have described a visit to St Luke's as being more like a holiday than being ill, which sheds an interesting light on their holidays.

Our website (stlukeshospital.org.uk) details the history of, and the facilities provided by, St Luke's.