Alistair Appleby, a GP who carried out the report published in the British Journal of General Practice, was prompted to after noticing how many of his patients needed spiritual questions answered.
Alex Bunn, a GP from the Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF), told Premier why people are seeking help from GPs over vicars.
He explained: “I think in a previous age people would have gone straight to a pastor when their souls ached and would have recognised that kind of spiritual element.
“But now, we tend to want a medical label for some of those issues.”
Interviews with 19 GPs in Scotland found that some family doctors are dismissing the idea of spirituality because they don’t believe in organised religion.
However Bunn warned GPs not to ignore the spiritual needs of their patients.
He added: “I do believe we should skill-up and if there are Christian healthcare workers out there I would recommend they get in touch with CMF – we do offer training in how to deal with spiritual enquiries.
“I think we should be better equipped to deal with what patients are asking for which is how can they deal with what are often existential or spiritual problems.”
The study echoed this point as some GPs reported feeling frustrated by having little to offer patients with complex problems driven by social and emotional difficulties anything other than pills.
Bunn urged GPS and spiritual…
… Read More
—
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.