The Bishop of Lichfield spent time with staff at the County Hospital in Stafford as part of a visit to the town.
The Right Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave spent a day with clergy and lay members of Stafford Deanery which is made up of 24 Church of England parishes in and around Stafford.
This included a morning visit to the hospital where Bishop Michael was shown around the Accident and Emergency, Outpatients and Womens Health departments, including the Midwife-Led Delivery Unit. As well as talking to staff in the departments, he met Executive Medical Director Dr John Oxtoby and Director Nursing Trish Rowson.
Bishop Michael previously took part in the180-mile NHS Prayer Walk which started in Stafford last May.
He said: It was wonderful to spend time with staff at the hospital and hear about the hard work that has taken place to bring transformation in recent years. I also enjoyed being with local clergy as they shared the joys and challenges they face in sharing the Good News of Jesus in their communities.
The Revd Elaine Evans, Vicar of St Bertelin Stafford, said: The staff at the hospital loved meeting and talking to Bishop Michael and were keen to tell him that morale is high in the hospital. It was also good to be able to show him some of the challenges that face churches in Stafford Deanery.
John Clark, Lay Chair of Stafford Deanery, added: It was important for Bishop Michael to hear first-hand see the positive things that are happening at the hospital and the challenges that staff face. It was an encouragement for them to meet him and also an important fact-finding visit for Bishop Michael. We also visited the new and growing housing estates in the area and talked about the opportunities of reaching people there.
Louise Simpson, Senior Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive at the hospital, said: We were delighted to welcome the Bishop of Lichfield to the County Hospital on Wednesday 7 March 2018. His visit was extremely uplifting for staff and patients alike and we were delighted to show him some of facilities ranging from the recently modernised outpatient clinics, our A&E Department, the Midwife Led Maternity Unit and finally to the oasis of calm that is the Hospital Chapel. Staff particularly relished the opportunity to show him the improvements we've made to County Hospital over the last few years of which we are all very proud.