THE Archbishop of Canterbury-elect, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, has paid tribute to overworked NHS staff in a New Year message which celebrates the connections between the NHS and Christian faith.
“As a former nurse, good healthcare is incredibly vital to me,” she said. “It goes hand in hand with my Christian faith, inspired by Jesus’ call for us to like and care deeply for each other.”
Her message, resulting from be broadcast on BBC1 at 1.30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, was partly filmed at St Thomas’s hospital, where she first trained as a nurse within the Nineteen Eighties. The hospital is situated on the identical road as Lambeth Palace. Its chapel was “a spot of sanctuary for employees and patients, away from the busy wards”, she said, with a multi-faith chaplaincy team available “to listen, pray, or just sit with those going through life’s most difficult and painful moments”.
The chapel has a memorial to Florence Nightingale, who established the Nightingale School of Nursing in 1860. She had been “driven by her deep Christian faith and commitment to care”, Bishop Mullally said (Books, 23 April 2010).
“More than 160 years on, I see that very same look after patients within the porters, nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants and lots of others who work in our hospitals. At bedsides and in wards and theatres across our country, they work to bring healing, alongside countless other acts of kindness.”
Bishop Mullally’s message also features footage from a visit to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where she paid tribute to staff who specialize in play therapy “softening the anxiety of a hospital stay, and speeding up recovery”.
She said: “While places like this provide excellent care, we all know that our hospitals are under increasing pressure, with social and palliative services stretched, long waiting times and severe strain on overworked NHS staff.”
This could possibly be “eased” through community support, she suggested, which could help take care of the basis causes of many admissions. “I see this in my very own diocese in London, where persons are delivering holistic support in several settings.”
She gave the instance of St John’s, Hackney, which holds regular lunches, “understanding that for a lot of us, a spot to go where food is provided and there are people to confer with, might be as vital as medical intervention for our physical and mental health.
“Here, people from everywhere in the world, from many various backgrounds, experience a warm welcome, a health check-up in the event that they need it — and importantly, the love of Jesus Christ, who showed us the best way to wash the feet of others.”
Throughout her ordained life, Bishop Mullally has drawn parallels between her vocation as a nurse, and her priestly ministry. In her first address after being nominated as the subsequent Archbishop of Canterbury, she said that “washing feet has shaped my Christian vocation: as a nurse, then a priest, then a bishop.”
In her message for 2026, she spoke of striving “to hold the care and compassion that shaped my vocation as a nurse into every little thing that I do. As I look to the New Year, and my latest role as Archbishop of Canterbury, I accomplish that on this same spirit of service, promising to uphold and support those in need, from all walks of life.
“The role of the church ought to be a healing presence in our nation, bringing people together at times of often intense division, caring deeply for many who need our help. Happy New Year.”
The former Chief Nursing Officer’s message was delivered during difficult times for the NHS, with public satisfaction with the service at a record low.
The Prime Minister described a strike by junior doctors last month as ”dangerous and utterly irresponsible”, while the Times reported this week that the Royal College of Emergency Medicine had estimated that there have been greater than 16,600 patient deaths linked to long waits in A & E for a hospital bed in 2025 — roughly 320 deaths per week.
A review carried out by Lord Darzi in 2024 for the brand new Labour government warned that the NHS was in “serious trouble”, having been “starved of capital”, with people struggling to see a GP, and long waits for mental health services “normalised”.
Echoing Bishop Mullally’s evaluation, Lord Darzi warned: “too many individuals find yourself in hospital, because too little is spent locally.”
