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21
The laundry service for cleansing of soiled bed linen and personal
clothing continued to operate throughout the year, proving of invaluable
assistance in very difficult cases.
During the year 58 persons were assisted and 13,000 articles were
laundered."
(ix) Hospitals, Etc.
Isolation Hospital.—172 beds are provided: 100 for general infectious
diseases, 19 are for the treatment of tuberculosis patients. 50 beds (formerly
used by tuberculosis patients) are now in use for chronic sick, and 3 beds
are used for sick staff.
Maternity Hospital.—51 beds for the reception of maternity cases are
maintained at the llford Maternitv HosDital.

The above three hospitals are included in the llford and Barking Group.
(Group 12 N.E. Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board).
Mental Hospitals.—There are two large Mental Hospitals in the district,
the Goodmayes Hospital, with 87 Resident Staff and 1,384 patients
(males 615, females 769), and Claybury Hospital, with 178 Resident Staff
and 2,224 patients (males 902, females 1,322) in residence on 30th June,
1957. (These Hospitals are included in Groups 21 and 20 respectively of
the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.)
Other Institutions,.—The Village Homes, one of the late Dr. Barnardo's
Institutions, has 60 beds in the Hospital and on 30th June, 1957, there
were 36 Resident Staff and 33 patients.
Nursing Homes.—There are 2 private registered Nursing Homes in the
district for medical and senile cases.
All Nursing Homes in the district are visited by the Medical Officer of
Health and the Chief Public Health Inspector (or their deputies) quarterly
and at other times when necessary.
(x) Ambulance Facilities: County Ambulance Service.
A Central Ambulance Control at llford deals with all requests for
Ambulance transport arising in the whole of the Metropolitan area of
Essex. The Control is manned continuously, is in direct contact with all
Ambulance Stations in the Metropolitan area of the County and with the
Divisional Control at Chelmsford.
In cases of emergency it is only necessary to dial 999. All other
requests for ambulance transport should be made, preferably in writing,
to the Controller, llford Ambulance Control, Aldborough Road. llford. or
in cases of urgency bv telephone (Valentine 8822).
Requests for Ambulance transport, other than emergency requests, are
only accepted from Doctors, Midwives, Duly Authorised Officers and the
medical staff of hospitals.
General medical practitioners, when arranging a patient's admission
or first appointment at a hospital, inform the hospital concerned that
ambulance transport is necessary and the hospital is then responsible for
ordering the ambulance transport.