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78. The consequential vacancy for a deputy medical superintendent of Colney
Hatch mental hospital was filled by the promotion of Dr. J. K. C. Laing, second
assistant medical officer at that hospital.
79. Dr. Samuel James Gilfillan, medical superintendent of Colney Hatch
mental hospital, who attained the age of 60 years on 17th March, 1929, retired on
16th April, 1929. Dr. Gilfillan entered the service in June, 1897, as an assistant
medical officer at Cane Hill mental hospital, where he rose to the position of second
assistant medical officer ; he was promoted to be first assistant medical officer at
Colney Hatch mental hospital in March, 1906, and he was appointed to be medical
superintendent of that hospital in October, 1911. He had thus completed over
31 years' service, during more than 17 years of which he had held his present position.
We are pleased to record our appreciation of the zealous and efficient manner in
which Dr. Gilfillan discharged his responsible duties.
80. Dr. John Brander, deputy medical superintendent of Bexley mental
hospital, was promoted to be medical superintendent of Colney Hatch mental hospital
in succession to Dr. Gilfillan, and Dr. H. W. Parnis, second assistant medical officer
at Claybury mental hospital, was promoted to succeed Dr. Brander at Bexley mental
hospital.
81. Dr. A. C. Hancock, M.C., resigned his position as deputy medical superintendent
of Horton mental hospital on 31st October, 1928, on appointment as medical
superintendent of the Kent County mental hospital at Maidstone. The consequential
vacancy was filled by the promotion of Dr. W. D. Nicol, second assistant
medical officer of Horton mental hospital,
Hanweli
mental
hospital—
resignation
of resident
engineer.
82. Mr. E. M. Martin, who had been resident engineer of Hanwell mental
hospital since 1889, retired on 30th June, 1928, after 39 years of zealous and efficient
service. The general rules approved by the Council and by the Minister of Health,
for the management of the London County mental hospitals, provided that on
Mr. Martin's retirement the mental hospitals engineer should take over his duties,
and as from 1st July, 1928, the mental hospitals engineer accordingly undertook
for Hanweli the same responsibilities which he exercised already for the other London
County mental hospitals. The new arrangement has necessitated the appointment
at Hanweli of a foreman engineer and a foreman builder.
Hospital
assistantsconditions
of
service.
83. The Council, in approving the institution of the new grade of hospital
assistant in the London County mental hospital service, laid down certain conditions
for the position, which are set out in our last report (Annual Report of the Council,
1927, Vol. II., p. 17, par. 53). These provide that the hospital assistants shall be
allowed to attend the training lectures and to sit for the examinations for the
nursing diploma, and on obtaining the final nursing certificate shall be transferred
to the position of staff nurse, either at the minimum of the scale for the latter
position or, if at the time of transfer in receipt of a rate of pay in excess of that
amount, at the equivalent or nearest point above in the new scale. As, however,
(except, perhaps, in the cases of nurses who after training have failed to qualify
and have been transferred to be hospital assistants), the medical superintendent
will not be able to give for a hospital assistant the certificate which he has to give
before a candidate is eligible to sit for the Royal Medico-Psychological Association's
examinations, that the candidate has had certain experience in nursing, the
Council on our recommendation, substituted a new condition, that only those hospital
assistants who have had previous service as nurses and as nurses have gone through
the whole course of training prescribed in the rules for the nursing examinations,
shall be able, after further training and study, to sit for the examinations which
may enable them to qualify for re-admission to the grade of nurse.
84. We have decided that the age limits for entrants to the London County
mental hospital service as hospital assistants (except for those who become hospital