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In all, six ex-borough treatment centres provided "general" dental services in
addition to their "priority" service, and twelve ex-borough centres provided dental
service for tuberculous patients on behalf of the Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Boards.
The activities, staff and premises of the British Dental Hospital were transferred
on 5th July to the respective Regional Hospital Boards in whose areas their four
premises were situated, while the activities and staff of the British Dental Hospital
on behalf of seven metropolitan boroughs were transferred with the borough premises
to the Council.
Considerable confusion in functional responsibility resulted as all three authorities
are implicated by reason of "priority," "general" and "tuberculous" patients
attending. Throughout the latter half of the year the Council continued as far as
possible to provide dental services at least equal to those in being prior to 5th July,
1948, but staff resignations rendered this impossible in all areas.
HOSPITALS AND ANCILLARY SERVICES
General and, special (other than mental) hospitals
Under the provisions of the National Health Service Act, 1946, the Council's
hospitals passed from the control of the Council to the four metropolitan regional
hospital boards on 5th July, 1948, and an account of the Council's Hospital Services
will be found on p. 91.
It had not been possible, for various reasons, to reopen the following hospitals :
Millfield Convalescent Hospital, Littlehampton; Orchard Hospital, Dartford;
St. Clement's Hospital, E.3; St. Luke's Hospital, Lowestoft; and South-Eastern
Hospital, New Cross. Some of the buildings were used for other purposes than the
reception of patients.
The Downs Hospital for Children and St. Margaret's Hospital, Kentish Town,
remained with the Council as residential nurseries. St. Peter's Hospital, Whitechapel,
and the Norwood Hospital for Children remained closed and were retained by the
Council.
At the beginning of the year, 8,015 patients were under treatment in the acute
general hospitals. The number remaining on 4th July, 1948, was 8,155.
Acute
general
hospitals
The number of patients in the chronic sick hospitals at the beginning of the year
was 2,423. The number remaining on 4th July, 1948, was 2,384.
Chronic
sick
hospitals
Continued difficulties were experienced, owing to the shortage of staff, in providing
hospital accommodation for the treatment of patients suffering from infectious
diseases. The restrictions on the admission of patients suffering from scarlet fever,
german measles, chickenpox and mumps continued throughout the period from
1st January to 4th July, 1948. The number of infectious patients at the beginning
of the vear was 760. The number remaining on 4th July. 1948. was 707.
Acute
infectious
hospitals
No cases of smallpox were admitted during the period.
St. Luke's Hospital, Lowestoft, remained closed. All available beds in the
remaining hospitals for tuberculosis were occupied except a number at Grove Park
Hospital and St. George's Home, which could not be opened owing to lack of staff.
Smallpox
Tuberculosis
hospitals
Millfield Convalescent Home remained closed, and the Downs Hospital and
Norwood Children's Hospital were used for other purposes. Queen Mary's Hospital,
Carshalton, Goldie Leigh Hospital, St. Anne's Home and White Oak Hospital
continued to provide accommodation for children.
Children's
hospitals
The two hospitals for epileptics, St. David's Hospital, Edmonton, and St. Faith's
Hospital, continued to provide treatment for male and female epileptic patients.
Hospitals for
epileptics
Princess Mary's Hospital, Margate, continued to provide accommodation tor
female adult convalescent patients. The number of such patients, admitted from
1st January to 4th July, 1948, was 1,356. Large numbers of male adult convalescent
Convalescent
hospital
(adults)