Pastoral care and psychological services are available for patients and, when appropriate, their relatives who are dealing with intense emotions and difficult questions related to illness or trauma.
Pastoral care is available to everyone, regardless of beliefs or religion. Priests and deacons provide pastoral support and offer conversations, family meetings, guidance, and group activities. Pastoral care can be helpful when a person:
Needs a trusted presence, encouragement, and support
Feels anxious, insecure, sad, angry, or grieving
Needs someone to listen and seek to understand
Requires guidance in communicating with staff or family
Wants to talk about their faith, doubts, and questions, and to deepen their own answers and understanding
Is searching for meaning
Feels a loss of control
Would like prayers and help with religious practices
Needs follow-up support
Services are available 24/7 upon request to a priest, deacon, or healthcare staff.
How to get in touch?
The pastoral care service is open 24/7, all year round.
You can ask a nurse, doctor, or other staff to contact the hospital chaplain or hospital priest on your behalf.
We are here for you.
Regular worship services take place on weekends and on holy days.
Further information is available from the ward where the patient is staying and, as a rule, in the events calendar on the front page of our website.
Auður Pálsdóttir sjúkrahúsprestur, Landspítali Fossvogi s. 824-5088
Ása Björk Ólafsdóttir sjúkrahúsprestur, Landspítali Hringbraut og vökudeild Barnaspítala s. 543 8027/ 824 5081
Þorgeir Albert Elíesersson sjúkrahúsprestur, Landspítali Hringbraut og Barnaspítali s. 543 9244 / 824-5503
At the National University Hospital, there are some chapels that are used for the services of priests and deacons, as well as for gatherings or quiet reflection:
The Children’s Hospital chapel, located at the southern end of the floor above the entrance, and always open.
The Emergency Department chapel, located in the southeast corner of the Emergency Department and open only for the Emergency Department and its activities.
The Palliative Care Unit chapel in Kópavogur, located in the unit between buildings C and D, and always open.
The Landspítali chapel in Fossvogur, currently closed but scheduled to reopen after renovations this winter in ward room 7 on the 7th floor.
The Landspítali chapel at Landakot, located on the landing of the third floor staircase, and always open.
The Landspítali chapel at Kleppur has been combined with the dining hall space for daily use; however, the innermost (northernmost) part of the dining hall also serves as chapel space and is opened for services when needed.
Hospital priests and deacons at the National University Hospital assist relatives as requested, lead a farewell service, and provide necessary information about the progress of events or call the relevant parish priest if requested.
After Death
The staff of the relevant ward prepares the deceased with respect, and the relatives are given the opportunity to hold a farewell service at the deathbed.
