Southport and Ormskirk hospitals’ annual memorial service will be broadcast online this Sunday at 11am.

Every year the chaplaincy and spiritual care service holds a memorial event for the remembrance of loved ones – but that’s not possible this year because of social distancing for Covid-19.

Instead the hospital chaplains, Consultant in Palliative Medicine Dr Karen Groves and Consultant Clinical Health Psychologist Dr Dominic Bray, supported by a choir and professional musicians, will reflect on coping with grief in a pandemic in an online broadcast.

The service will be on YouTube from 11am on Sunday 1 November. 

Hospital chaplain the Rev Martin Abrams said: “We hope families and friendships groups are able to watch together on Sunday either in their support bubbles or remotely from 11am but the service will be available to view at any time after this.

“Part of the service will involve an invitation to tie ribbon and plant a bulb at home in remembrance of any loss of a loved one.”

Families and friends have been tying ribbons and planting bulbs at the rainbow walls at both hospitals throughout October. Anyone who would like to do this at the hospital can come along and do so.

Martin added: “During the early months of the Covid pandemic, the rainbow became a symbol of solidarity and support for the NHS. At its most simple, colourful pictures were put up in windows to cheer people up. But rainbows are also a symbol of peace and hope as they often appear with the sun after heavy rainfall.”