London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Westminster 1896
Annual report upon the public health & sanitary condition of the united Parishes of St. Margaret & St. John, Westminster for the year 1896
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Metropolitan Asylums Board.
In the report dated May 20th, 1896, the Statistical Committee
of the above Board report that when all additions to
and works of re-construction in connection with the existing
fever hospitals have been completed, the accommodation at the
various hospitals will be as follows :—
Beds.
Eastern Hospital 356
North-Eastern Hospital 584
North-Western Hospital 440
Western Hospital 498
Fountain Hospital 402
South-Western Hospital 368
South-Eastern Hospital 438
Northern Hospital 680
3,766
To these will be added the following new hospitals:—
Brook Hospital 488
Park Hospital 548
Grove Hospital 520
1,556
5,322
It is anticipated that most, if not all, the works in connection
with the existing hospitals, with the exception of the NorthEastern
and Western Hospitals, will be completed in 1896 ; that
the Brook Hospital will be ready for occupation about the middle
of the same year, the Park Hospital towards the end of 1897,
and the Grove Hospital somewhat later. To complete the scheme
there will still remain the provision of a southern convalescent
fever hospital for, say, 700 patients, but for this the Managers
have not, up to the present, been able to secure a site.
For Smallpox.—The Managers have approved of plans for the
erection on the recently-acquired Joyce Green Farm estate at
Dartford of a two-storey brick hospital for the accommodation
of 880 cases in ordinary wards, and of 72 cases in special isolation
buildings.
Cases of Mistaken Diagnosis.
During the year 1895, twelve hundred and seventy-seven
patients, or a percentage on the total admissions of 7.6, were,
after admission, found not to be suffering from the diseases
mentioned in the notifications upon which they were removed
to hospital. The percentage of these cases of mistaken
diagnosis was, as regards scarlet fever cases, 3.5; diphtheria
cases, 2.8; and enteric cases, 23.2.
Amongst the 413 cases certified as scarlet fever, there were
114 of measles, 69 of tonsillitis, and 95 had no obvious disease.
Amongst the 651 cases certified as diphtheria, were 24 of
measles, and 533 of tonsillitis.