Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1919
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abnormal cases could be referred, the Institution being only
equipped for normal cases. These conditions were accepted by
the Borough Council, and the first £1,000 was handed over on
our securing the lease of 110, Grange Road. The next £500 was
paid when the first patient was admitted, and the remaining
£500 is due at the time of writing.
110, Grange Road, is a large house containing 12 rooms, and
it was fitted up at a cost of £874. The drainage was completely
overhauled, electric light and bells were fitted all over
the house, the areas adjoining the basement were enlarged so as
to admit more light, the two bedrooms on the first floor were
thrown into one, so as to make a large ward, the windows in the
top rooms were much enlarged so as to improve the light, and
the whole house was put into a thorough state of decorative
repair, a lift being provided to carry food from the kitchen in
the basement to the ward on the first floor. Special heating
apparatus was installed, and two baths were provided—one for
the patients and one for the staff. The rooms were allocated
as follows: In the front basement is the kitchen, in the back
basement the scullery and cooking stove, and the small room at
the back of the basement passage was reserved for the heating
apparatus. The other accommodation in the basement consisted
of stores for food, coals and general stores. On the ground
floor, the small room at the right of the door was used as an
office, the large room at the left as a dining hall, and the back
room was divided into two parts, the large one being used as a
ward with three beds, and the smaller one as the Matron's
sitting room. On the first floor the large ward contains six
beds, the other accommodation consisting of a small lying-in
ward, bath room and lavatory. On the top floor were four bedrooms,
two large and two small; one small bedroom is reserved
for the Matron, and one for the night nurse, one large bedroom
for the two day nurses, and the remaining one for the cook and
the housemaid. The floors of the wards were planed and
polished with a special polish.
The staff consists of the Matron, two day nurses, one night
nurse, one cook, a housemaid and a charwoman, who comes in
a certain number of hours per week.