NHS trust calls in exorcist over haunting complaints at Norfolk hospice
Staff reported unsettling incidents and a ghostly figure at a former children’s hospital.
An NHS trust called in an exorcist, after staff at a Norfolk hospice raised concerns the site was haunted.
Workers at the Priscilla Bacon Lodge, a hospice on Unthank Road in Norwich, reported “paranormal incidents,” including sightings of a girl dressed in red. The building was previously used as the Jenny Lind children’s hospital until 1975.
Emails from the hospice’s chaplain to the Diocese of Norwich, obtained by The Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal the clergy sought help from deliverance ministers to address staff anxieties.
A deliverance minister connected to the Diocese provided guidance, and the chaplain requested holy oil from the Norwich Cathedral for use in a religious service intended to reassure patients and staff.
A week later, the chaplain expressed gratitude for the assistance: “I am in conversation with a member of the deliverance team which is aiding the care and ministry I’m offering.”
Before the hospice moved to a new facility at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, opened by King Charles, the chaplain conducted a blessing and sprinkling ceremony around the site.
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust confirmed that a building blessing took place, but clarified that no exorcist physically visited the hospice.
The Church of England has over 40 deliverance ministers who conduct blessings as part of pastoral care. Deliverance ministries are subject to medical consultation guidelines to ensure clergy avoid sensationalism and provide considered support for emotional, physical, or spiritual distress.
A spokesperson for the Church said: “Deliverance ministry is a specialist form of pastoral care... rooted in the church’s commitment to healing, wholeness and peace.”
The former Priscilla Bacon Lodge facility, which remains on Unthank Road, was briefly converted into a therapy unit but is no longer used. Its neighbouring health complex, including the Colman Hospital, is still active.
At the time of the incidents, Rev Helen Garrard was the hospice chaplain. Rev Garrard, who previously worked as a palliative care nurse at the hospice before becoming lead chaplain for Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, has been contacted for comment.
The Diocese of Norwich, Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, and the Priscilla Bacon Lodge charity have also been approached.