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Dr. W. A. Daley, principal medical officer, public health department.
*F. R. Hiorns, Esq., F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A., architect's department.
Dr. W. Knobel, senior medical officer, public health department.
†J. Malcolm, Esq., B.Sc., divisional engineer (public institutions division),
chief engineer's department.
†L. J. J. Murfin, Esq., B.Sc., chief engineer's department.
Dr. H. Nockolds, D.S.O., medical superintendent, Lewisham hospital.
R. H. P. Orde, Esq., B.A., director of Central Bureau of Hospital
Information, hon. secretary British Hospitals' Association.
Dr. W. T. Gordon Pugh, chief medical superintendent, children's and
surgical tuberculosis services, medical superintendent, Queen Mary's
hospital for children, Carshalton.
*R. Robertson, Esq., F.R.I.B.A., late chief divisional architect.
‡A. Scott, Esq., M.B.E., F.R.I.B.A., chief architect, Ministry of Health.
‡Dr. F. R. Seymour, medical officer, Ministry of Health.
Dr. W. A. Daley was appointed to be chairman of the committee.
Reference has been made to the work of this committee in annual reports from
time to time, and in the report for 1933 it was pointed out that the Minister of Health
had appointed a departmental committee to consider "costs of hospitals and other
public buildings," whose order of reference and functions would traverse certain
ground which had been covered by the Hospital Standards Committee.
The committee's interim report was submitted to the medical officer of health,
in January, 1934. It was emphasized in the covering letter that the report had
been precipitated by the appointment of the government's departmental committee,
which included three members of the Hospital Standards Committee, and that
many of the important questions which had been under discussion had not been
subjected to that exhaustive examination which would justify an authoritative
opinion, based upon experimental trial, to be expressed. It was pointed out,
however, that there were advantages in collecting together the tentative conclusions
of the committee which had been reached during the course of nearly four years'
work, and in putting forward their recommendations as suggestions for discussion
and further consideration.
The point was stressed that in no sense could hospital standards be regarded
as static, in view of the fact that modern standards of design, material and equipment
were constantly changing, and that variants to suit individual preferences or
local needs must be taken into account. It was conceived to be the main duty of
the committee to lay down fundamental data for the use of architects and engineers
engaged in the erection of hospitals, and advantage was taken departmentally from
time to time of the results of the committee's discussions when the planning of
hospital extensions was under consideration. It was pointed out, however, that
the building of each new hospital or hospital extension was a separate problem, and,
apart from " fundamentals," variety and individualism might be desirable.
It was fully recognised that the report necessarily had its limitations, and
that certain of the committee's suggestions would need amendment in the light of
further experience or enquiry, but having regard to the unique character of the
composition of the committee, containing as it did, architects, engineers, clinicians
and administrators with experience of both municipal and voluntary hospitals, it
was hoped that the presentation of their combined views and experience, tentative
though they might be, would be of some value to those responsible for the erection
of hospital buildings or extensions.
The report was submitted to the Central Public Health Committee with a note
of caution having regard to the afore-mentioned considerations, and was later
referred to the General Purposes Committee who authorised the submission of the
interim report to the Departmental Committee on the Costs of Hospitals and other
Public Buildings on the understanding that it was purely an informal arrangement
* By invitation and by courtesy of the architect to the Council.
† By invitation and by courtesy of the chief engineer of the Council.
‡ By invitation and in advisory capacity, by courtesy of the Ministry of Health.