View report page

58
for convalescent cases. The beds are allotted as
follows*:—
Acute Cases—
Scarlet Fever 2,283
Diphtheria 614
Enteric Fever 195
Temporarily unavailable
for various reasons 370
3,462
Convalescent Cases—
Scarlet Fever 809
Diphtheria 76
Temporarily unavailable 70
955
The provision for smallpox cases includes 300
beds on the Ships and 1,192 beds at Gore Farm.
Of the latter some 752 are (or were) used for scarlet
fever convalescents. The hospitals now either in
course of erection or decided upon, will provide
additional accommodation to the extent of 2,168 beds,
distributed as follows:—
For Acute Cases—"fever" and diphtheria—
Park Hospital, Hither Green (to be opened this Summer) 548 beds
Grove Hospital, Tooting (now in course of erection) 520 „
For Convalescent Cases—"fever" and diphtheria—
Southern Hospital, Carshalton (not yet commenced) 700 „
For Smallpox Patients—
Joyce Green Hospital, site will) ,
accommodate 900 beds (Now in course of erection) 400 „
Hitherto there has not been any system of varying
the allocation of beds to meet emergencies, and it has
happened (as in March last) that over 1,000 scarlet
fever beds were standing empty although the urgent
demand for beds for diphtheria could not be met.
Now the Board have decided to vary, from time to
time, the number of beds set apart for each disease
—other than smallpox—so as to endeavour to meet
all demands.
* From Minutes of Meeting of Asylums Board on March 27th, 1897.