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Acute
general
hospitals
11
Of the twenty-seven acute hospitals, one was closed for the greater part of the
year. At the beginning of the year, 6,665 patients were undergoing treatment.
As the winter advanced, the number increased to 7,770 on 18th March, 1942. The
number of patients then fell steadily to 7,170 on 10th September, 1942. With the
onset of the winter months, the numbers rose again until, at the end of December,
1942, there were 7,774 patients in the acute hospitals, 9,030 beds being in commission.
The relatively small number of beds in occupation in the hospitals inside the
county was due to the continuance of the arrangements for evacuation of patients
under the Emergency Hospital Scheme to hospitals in the periphery and to the
rapid turnover of patients. Many patients who would normally have completed
their treatment in the inner hospitals were transferred to up-graded hospitals on
the periphery, many of which are London County Council hospitals.
Maternity
patients
The total number of births in the general hospitals during 1942 was 12,505
(live births, 11,991; stillbirths, 514), and there were 12,230 confinements. These
figures show a considerable increase on those for 1941 (8,040 and 7,793 respectively).
The number of beds was also increased, and 554 beds (plus 148 for ante-natal patients)
were in occupation in thirteen units in the acute general hospitals. The total number
of maternal deaths was 44, 29 being directly due to pregnancy or confinement
after the twenty-eighth week and 15 to causes associated with these conditions.
This represents a maternal mortality of 3.52 per thousand total births, an
increase over the comparable rate for previous years (2.05 in 1941, 2.75 in
1940, and 2.84 in 1939). The proportion of abnormal cases admitted to the
Council's maternity units during 1942 has, however, been higher than previously
because of the greater degree of selection for hospital confinement and the absence
from London of many of the voluntary hospital units. In addition, the social
upheavals of the war have seriously interfered with the continuity of antenatal
care.
Chronic sick
hospitals
At the beginning of the year the number of beds provided in the chronic sick
general hospitals was 2,155. This number was subsequently increased to 2,508 by
the re-opening of St. Matthew's Hospital, by the opening of St. Luke's Hospital as a
chronic sick hospital and by the transfer of St. Peter's Hospital from the acute
to the chronic sick group of hospitals. This accommodation was full throughout
the vear.
Aoute
infectious
hospitals
The South-Eastern Hospital remained closed throughout the year. The
Eastern, Grove and Park Hospitals were suspended from the Emergency Hospital
Scheme on 1st April, 1942. Owing to a shortage of nursing staff, it was necessary
to restrict admissions of German measles, mumps and chickenpox during the latter
part of the year. The highest number of fever patients under treatment during the
year was 2,388, including 389 measles patients, on 16th December, 1942. The
lowest figure was 1,549 on 7th January, 1942.
The total number of infectious patients admitted to the fever hospitals in
1942 was 19,560, compared with 16,355 in 1941. In addition to cases of infectious
diseases, accommodation was provided in the fever hospitals for scabies and other
skin conditions, tuberculosis of the pulmonary type, and other general medical
conditions, and during the year 2,465 patients were admitted to non-fever wards.
The maximum number of such patients under treatment was 536 on 18th March
1942.
Smallpox
No case of smallpox was admitted to Long Reach Hospital, but one confirmed
case and two suspected cases from London were admitted to the Clandon Isolation
Hospital bv arrangement with the Surrev Countv Council.
Typhus
fever
A small isolation block at the Eastern Hospital was adapted for use as a typhus
unit to augment the accommodation provided for such cases at the North-Eastern
Hospital in 1941. Fortunately it was unnecessary to use either unit.
Tuberculosis
hospitals
High Wood Hospital was suspended from the Emergency Hospital Scheme
on 1st August, 1942. The accommodation for cases of pulmonary tuberculosis