A NEW chaplain will offer spiritual care to patients and staff at the Isle of Wight’s hospice.

The Rev Vickie Morgan is moving from being priest-in-charge of Blendworth, Chalton, Idsworth and Rowlands Castle to become spiritual care lead at the Mountbatten Hospice in Newport from January 2.

It marks a combination of Vickie’s two callings – she worked as a nurse for 12 years before becoming ordained, and so feels a calling both to the medical profession and ordained ministry.

The move also works for her family life, as her husband, the Rev David Morgan, was recently appointed as one of the team vicars in Ryde.

The chaplaincy role will allow her to support those of any faith and no faith, especially in relation of end-of-life care. She also hopes to involve the network of island churches more closely with the hospice.

“It does really feel as though two callings are becoming one,” she said. “I was a district nurse in Gosport and one of my roles involved looking after people at home who were at the end of their lives. I then felt a call to ordination and have been a parish priest.

“This role actually combines both. I never thought I would be going back into a healthcare environment, but maybe God had a plan for me the whole time, preparing me for this job. I’m pleased to be doing something vocational.

“Part of my role will be offering spiritual care to patients, their families and staff at the hospice. I also hope to work with local churches to raise the profile of the hospice and to help them to look after those with life-limiting conditions effectively.”

Vickie is helping out at the Haven Benefice on the Isle of Wight during Advent and Christmas this year, and may well continue to be available for Sunday worship, as the hospice has no Sunday services.

Vickie was first ordained in 2017, and served as curate in St Faith’s Church, Havant, before becoming priest-in-charge at St John’s, Rowlands Castle, and at Blendworth, Chalton and Idsworth, in 2019.

For more information about the Mountbatten Hospice, see: www.mountbatten.org.uk