Having issues of physical or mental health is stressful for anyone. There can be particular factors that contribute to the stress of clergy or their families in times of sickness: the deacon/priest may be the only cleric serving a community, with often no-one obvious to provide sick cover; unrealistic expectations others place on them as Christian role models for others and so health issues might mean they fall short in some way; the focus tends to be on clergy caring for others and putting their self-care second; the lack of boundaries between home and work, including possibly living in tied accommodation making long term health issues a particular concern. If one person in the household has health issues this frequently impacts on the others in terms of added worry, stress and the need to provide personal care.
The Diocesan Clergy Manual includes information about what to do and who to contact when a member of clergy is sick: use the link below to access it.
Whilst the NHS would be your first port of call for all healthcare issues, St. Luke’s Healthcare provide private healthcare for clergy, including: investigations, procedures and follow-up treatment as recommended by a St Luke’s honorary consultant; Convalescent post-operative care; Dental surgery as recommended by a St Luke’s honorary consultant, within certain criteria; Physiotherapy as recommended by a St Luke’s honorary consultant, within certain criteria.