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38
The four country nurseries retained were:—
Basted House, Wrotham 36 cots
Easneye, Ware 48 „
The Elms, Bourne End 20 „
Widbury House, Ware 34 „
138 „
From 1st January, 1946, it was decided that they should be transferred from
the control of the Education Officer to that of the Medical Officer of Health under
the direction of the Hospitals and Medical Services Committee. The following
summarises the position at the end of 1945:—
Total accommodation No. of children in residence †
In country—8 nurseries 367 260
In London—6 nurseries* 406 323
773 583
†In comparing these with the figures at the beginning of the year it must be remembered that they do not include children now
transferred to residential nursery schools under the control of the Education Committee, i.e., the age range is no longer
0-5 but 0-2 years.
‡Includes 2 nurseries which were closed early in January, 1946. *2 Public Health, 4 Social Welfare.
Out-patients
departments:
appointments
system
The scheme for arranging appointments for patients attending the out-patients'
departments of the Council's hospitals was extended and developed during the year.
It had become apparent that, particularly in the larger hospitals, far too much
routine clerical work fell upon the nursing staff, interfering with their nursing
duties and hindering the rapid flow of patients to the wards or treatment centres.
At most hospitals the task of checking and arranging for the storage of property
of patients admitted as in-patients also threw a burden on the nursing staff. In
order to relieve the nurses, clerks were appointed for duty in the receiving wards
and out-patients' departments of 18 hospitals; and the results so far have been
entirely satisfactory.
Rehabilitation
Every effort has been made to co-operate as fully with the Ministry of Health
"rehabilitation" programme as the difficult working conditions would allow. A
number of medical and physiotherapy staff were sent to the special courses arranged
by the Ministry. The almoners at the hospitals work in close co-operation with
the disablement resettlement officers of the Ministry of Labour in arranging training
and job-finding for the permanently disabled who cannot return to their own work
and patients are advised to register if eligible under the Disabled Persons Act.
Several hospitals have been able to offer full rehabilitation facilities including
occupational therapy and physiotherapy for long-stay patients, viz., the Northern,
the Southern, Joyce Green Hospitals and Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup.
Medical lecturers for the training courses held by the Ministry of Labour for its
disablement resettlement officers have been provided from the Council's staff.
A psycho-neurosis unit, staffed by doctors and nurses from Mill Hill E.M.S.
Hospital, was opened at the Southern Hospital in June for the psychiatric treatment
and rehabilitation of repatriated prisoners of war and certain other patients. By
the end of the year over 1,000 ex-Service patients had passed through the unit.
Valuable co-operation was secured from employers in Dartford, who provided a
large range of part-time employment. Subsequent enquiry in 500 cases revealed
92 per cent. in work or training. For further particulars, see pages 60-62.
Linkage with
voluntary
hospitals
The various forms of association between the Council's hospitals and voluntary
hospitals are of advantage to both. They enlarge the scope of the services which
can be rendered, while the staff benefit by the stimulus of teaching in the wards
and of contacts with staff from other hospitals. The possibility of extending the
co-operation is under constant consideration.