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been made. The number of patients under treatment reached 7,600 on 15th
October, 1940, and then fell again owing to an evacuation of chronic sick patients
occupying beds in acute hospitals, until in early November only about 5,200 patients
remained. After this the annual increase due to the onset of the winter months
commenced and by the end of 1940, 6,108 patients were receiving treatment in the
acute hospitals.
The bombing of London reduced the number of beds available as many acute
general hospitals sustained air-raid damage, some of which was serious and substantially
reduced the bed accommodation. In addition, in the interests of the
safety of the patients and staff, top floors of the hospitals were evacuated. At the
end of the year only some 10,200 beds, about 50 per cent. of the peace-time accommodation
were available. In spite of this, and even during the most intensive
phase of the air attack, all cases of normal sickness seeking admission were admitted
and among these were many who in peace time would have entered the voluntary
hospitals, which had drastically cut down the number of beds available for the
reception of ordinary civilian sick.
Chronic sick
hospitals
By mid-October, 1940, approximately 5,800 cases of chronic sickness had
accumulated in the general hospitals, some 2,200 of them occupying beds in the
acute hospitals. This was due in part to relatives of patients leaving London not
being able to take the sick with them to billets in the country, and to the fact that
many chronic sick were unable to go nightly to the air-raid shelters. Owing to the
reduction in the effective hospital accommodation the presence of this large body of
long term patients was a matter of grave concern, and as a result of representations
to the Ministry of Health, some 3,750 chronic sick patients were evacuated by the
Ministry in hospital trains to the north and north-west of England.
The relief effected was temporary, however, as this class of patient continued to
seek admission, and by the end of the year the chronic sick hospitals, accommodation
in which had also been reduced by air-raid damage and the closure of top floor
wards, were again full, and this class of patient was again beginning to occupy beds
in the acute hospitals.
Epileptic
hospitals
Convalescent
hospitals
The two epileptic hospitals continued to provide treatment as before the war.
In May, 1940, the military situation necessitated the closure of Princess Mary's
Convalescent Home, Margate, for female convalescent patients, and the furniture and
equipment were brought back to London for use elsewhere. A small number of
female convalescents were sent to voluntary homes. A very restricted amount of
accommodation for male convalescents was available at Queen Mary's Hospital,
Sidcup, as air-raid casualties and other patients were treated there and reduced
the number of beds normally available for convalescents.

* Hospitals closed at outbreak of war—patients admitted elsewhere.
The figures for the acute hospitals show that the reduction in the number of
admissions is substantially less than the proportionate reduction in the population
of London. The amount of operative work and the number of acute medical cases
have, in particular, remained at a high level.