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At Sutton, Surrey, an establishment—the Belmont laboratories—had been
provided by the Board for the production of diphtheria antitoxin and certain other
material used in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease. The work of
this establishment has considerably developed, and arrangements are being made
for the provision of increased accommodation.
General.
Hospital
services.
The hospital service of the public health department of the London County
Council comprises the hospitals and institutions (to be used as hospitals), except the
mental hospitals, together with certain ancillary services, forming part of the
functions transferred to the Council on 1st April, 1930, under the provisions of the
Local Government Act, 1929. Historical surveys of these services prior to 1st April,
1930, will be found in the Annual Report of the Council for 1930 (Vol. IV, Part I).
Divisions
of work.
The hospital branch is divided into two main divisions, one dealing with general
hospitals (principal medical officer, Dr. W. Brander), and the other with special
hospitals (principal medical officer, Dr. J. A. H. Brincker). The matron-in-chief
(Miss D. E. Bannon) deals with questions relating to nursing and female domestic staff
in both types of hospital.
General
hospitals
division.
The work or the general hospitals division embraces the management of 29 acute
hospitals (including 1 children's hospital), 11 hospitals and institutions for chronic
sick patients, 2 convalescent hospitals and 2 colonies for sane epileptics, i.e., 44
hospitals and institutions, containing a total bed accommodation of 27,043. This
figure includes a number of beds at present occupied by healthy aged and infirm
inmates in the 11 institutions. This work, moreover, includes a number of ancillary
services such as medical instruction and training of nurses and midwives in connection
with these hospitals, the provision and management of district medical and nursing
services and dispensaries, and of medical and nursing services for public assistance
institutions, institutional maternity work and arrangements for the institutional care
of healthy children under three years of age separated from their parents.
A list of the general hospitals and institutions, together with particulars of the
chief hospital officers, bed accommodation, and other details of interest will be
found on pages 36 to 44 of this report.
Special
hospitals
division.
The special hospitals division deals with the management of 31 hospitals (containing 13,567 beds) of which 16 are for infectious diseases, including 1 for
ophthalmia neonatorum and young children suffering from congenital syphilis and
vulvo-vaginitis, and 1 for women and girls suffering from venereal diseases, together
with units for post-encephalitis lethargica and the radium treatment of cancer of
the uterus; 6 are for tuberculosis in adults and 4 (with parts of two others) are for
tuberculosis in children: one of the four also includes a unit for rheumatism in
children; 5 are children's hospitals, including 2 for those requiring prolonged treatment,
in the country, 1 for children suffering from ringworm and other skin diseases,
1 for children suffering from ophthalmia and interstitial keratitis, and 1 children's
seaside convalescent home; together with a receiving station for smallpox patients.
The variation in the number of beds at the special hospitals compared with that for
1933 is due to an increase of accommodation at Queen Mary's hospital for children, and
the taking over of Heatherwood hospital on 1st October, 1934. Provision is made in
the infectious hospitals for the instruction of medical students and of candidates for the
diploma in public health, and in the infectious, tuberculosis and children's services
for the training of nurses. Provision is also made, in separate establishments, for
pathological and bacteriological work, the manufacture of antitoxins, and for
research work.
A list of the special hospitals and institutions, together with particulars of the
chief hospital officers, acreage of sites, bed accommodation, etc., will be found on
pages 115 to 118 of this report.
Arrangement
of report.
Whilst it is only to be expected in a hospital organisation of the extent, both as
to numbers and as to kinds of hospitals, administered by the department, that many
important matters must arise which affect both the general and the special (e.g.,
fever, tuberculosis, and children's) hospitals—matters indeed of common interest