View report page

118
"As regards capital expenditure, the Board are prepared,
subject to the consent of the Treasury, to make grants in aid
in accordance with the recommendations of the Departmental
Committee. So far as practicable, existing accommodation
which is suitable should be utilised.
"In framing a complete scheme regard should be had to
the needs of the community and not to the needs of insured
persons alone."
It remains now to show how the Borough Council may provide
the dispensary unit for the Borough. This can, of course, at present
only be set out in outline.
The Borough Council may (1) establish a dispensary themselves,
retaining complete control over the institution, appointing
the officers, &c., and making it a part of the Public Health Department.
In this case the Council would either erect a new building
suitable for a dispensary or adapt some existing building in a
suitable locality. Or the Borough Council may (2) make use of
accommodation if suitable in connection with existing hospitals or
infirmaries.
With regard to the first suggestion for the Council to provide,
maintain and retain complete control over a dispensary, I have
already reported to the Committee on this aspect of the question.
(See Reports of Medical Officer of Health, 1st March, 1911, and
31st January, 1912.)
The second suggestion to utilise accommodation at existing
hospitals, although at first sight more difficult to arrange, will in
the end be much less expensive, I believe, to the Borough Council,
and will have some very striking advantages over the former
proposal.
The hospitals in or near to Hackney having suitable existing
accommodation are the Metropolitan Hospital, Kingsland Road,
and the Victoria Park Hospital, Bonner Road, Bethnal Green.