The Rotorua Hospital Chaplaincy Trust was established to ensure that chaplaincy services continue at Rotorua Public Hospital, regardless of government funding availability. The value of chaplaincy is strongly recognised within the hospital. The Director of Medical Services has stated that he would not want to work in a hospital without a chaplaincy department, having seen first-hand the significant benefits provided to patients, their whānau, and staff.  The Rotorua Hospital covers an area from Whakamaru in the South Waikato to south of Turangi and deals with approximately 30,000 in-patients per year, of which our team of volunteers visit. There are 233 beds in this hospital. 

As a Chaplaincy service, we are contracted by the Government to provide emotional support and community well-being for these patients, their families and staff of Rotorua hospital, regardless of any religious affiliation or none.  

 This is covered by one full time Chaplain, one part time Chaplain, one Catholic Chaplain, and 18 volunteers supported by part-time office administrators.  The Chaplaincy Department in Rotorua Public Hospital is one of the biggest voluntary groups in Chaplaincy in the country, and the visits, as mentioned above, reflect this.  This gives an indication of how well run this department is.  Several of our volunteers have been with us for over 20 years.  We aim to provide spiritual and emotional care that helps people live with who they are. We do this by having accredited Chaplains who regularly visit patients on the wards and support staff who request it, and by training a team of volunteers to spend time with the patients, their families and staff at Rotorua Hospital. We provide ongoing professional development for the volunteers by way of monthly meetings, and develop skills within our group of volunteers that enhances the volunteer work in the community of Rotorua.

 The Rotorua Hospital Chaplaincy Trust is the governance and fundraising arm of Chaplaincy Department at Rotorua Hospital, to supplement funding from the Ministry of Health.  We as a Chaplaincy Department are entirely non-commercial and are a charitable trust. The government funding only covers a percentage of our chaplain’s salary, which is paid directly from the MOH, however the shortfall has to be covered by the local churches and from grants from trusts.  The income from local Churches has significantly decreased and the government funding only covers 50%.