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MEET two new faces who are helping patients throughout North East Lincolnshire.

Charles Thody is hoping to make a flying start to his new role as chaplain of Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

FORMER PILOT: Reverend Charles Thody has taken over as the new chaplain for the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The 49-year-old former pilot will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the chaplaincy team and will spend time on the wards and departments across the hospitals.



Originally from Hertfordshire, he spent his early career working as an aircraft engineer and his hobby was restoring old fighter aircraft.

Before being ordained in 1994, Charles worked for a private collector at the Imperial War Museum who let him fly a number of classic planes.

He said: "I worked for a private collector at the Imperial War Museum, and was lucky enough to fly Tiger Moth biplanes, microlites and even a 150-seater airliner.

"But in the late 1980s the aircraft market changed and I moved on because there was no longer enough work in that form of engineering.

"I had grown up visiting the church quite regularly, and chaplaincy had always interested me far more than parish work. As a chaplain I don't have an actual church, but instead spend my time visiting patients around the hospitals.

"It is vital to have a chaplaincy service in a hospital, we provide the extra bit in people's care.

"It could be supporting a person as their loved one dies, or providing comfort for a family who has received bad news."



Meanwhile, Sue Cooper has taken on the role as Macmillan end-of-life clinical care co-ordinator at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.

NEW ROLE: Sue Cooper has become the Macmillan end of life clinical care co-ordinator based at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.

Sue has worked as a nurse in Grimsby for the last 28 years specialising in general surgery and gynaecology and more recently as a community and hospital Macmillan specialist palliative care nurse.

As well as providing support, advice and education programmes to nurses and medical teams, Sue will deliver aspects of end-of-life care including pain and symptom management, and improving communication with patients and their families.

She said: "Death is a taboo subject for a lot of people. However, it is something that needs to be discussed to allow patients more choice in where they wish to be cared for at the end of their life.

"It is our job to work with patients and families, and wherever possible, ensure their last wishes are supported and achieved.

"I am incredibly excited about being given this opportunity to drive forward end-of-life care and support clinical teams in ensuring patients receive high-quality, patient-focussed care."