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"according to their estimate, to about £60,000, which they say has been occasioned
"by the admission during the last five years into the Board's Hospitals of some 10,000
cases not suffering from diseases for which these hospitals are provided, and suggest a
"conference between the Board and the several Metropolitan Councils to consider the
"subject.
"As regards the financial statement the Holborn Borough Council seems to have
"been misled. The Accountant of the Board has estimated that the extra cost to
"which the Board has been put by the admission of these patients would not exceed
"an average sum of £3,200 per annum.
"As regards the matter which it is proposed to discuss, it is undeniable that in the
"earlier stages of many cases of infectious disorder there can be no absolute certainty
of diagnosis, and that to detain at home every patient until such certainty is obtained
"must frequently result in the spread of infection, the prevention of which is the
"primary object of the Board's hospitals.
"It must, therefore, be always to remove a doubtful case than to leave it outside
"with the danger of infecting others, which if done would of necessity increase the
"number of admissions and thus cause a very considerable expenditure of the rates.
"The business of the Managers is to receive cases which are certified by a qualified
"practitioner, provide proper accommodation, and then leave them in the experienced
"hands of the Medical Superintendents.
"In our opinion, the Managers would be going quite beyond the scope of their
"functions if they took any step which would have the effect of discouraging medical
"practitioners from freely exercising their judgment in seeking for their patients
"admission to the Board's hospitals.
"The suggestion that the Medical Officer of Health should confirm the diagnosis
"is not one for the Board; but in our opinion it is very doubtful whether such a
"proceeding would be of any value, and it certainly would be attended with
"distinct disadvantages.
"We do not see that any useful purpose would be served by such a conference as
"the Borough of Holborn suggest, and we cannot recommend the Managers to take
"any part therein.
"We recommend:—
"That the report (2nd November, 1905) of the Hospitals Committee on the
"subject of the letter (18th September, 1905) from the Council of the
"Metropolitan Borough of Holborn with reference to accommodation of patients
"be approved and adopted, and a copy thereof forwarded to the Town Clerk in
"reply to such communication.
"(Adopted.)"
As many of the Borough Councils in the Metropolis evidently agreed with
the views of the Asylums Board on the subject, in the result a letter, dated the
31st January of this year, was received from the Holborn Borough Council,
stating that in reply to their communication of the 18th September, 1905,
seventeen Councils were in favour of the conference being held, and nine were
against it, they had therefore come to the conclusion not to convene the conference,
and that in these circumstances they had asked the Metropolitan
Borough Councils' Association to undertake the consideration of the matter.