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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
The National Health Service celebrated its fifth birthday during
953. It is generally agreed that much has been achieved in these first
five years, although there is an almost equally widespread feeling that
improvements could be made in its administration and available
monies spent to better advantage. This was recognised during the year
by the setting up of the Guillebaud Committee, whose report will be
eagerly awaited by those whose faith is that "prevention is not only
better, but also cheaper, than cure."
It may be of interest to consider certain of the services which you
have built up in Barking mainly during the past quarter of a century
and as we find them five years after the "appointed day."
HOSPITAL SERVICES
When my predecessor came to Barking in 1927 the infectious
diseases hospital was housed in what I have had described to me as a
"tin hut." his contained 40 beds for infectious cases and, in a separate
portion of the building, 12 beds were available for maternity cases.
In 1931 the first portion of the new permanent infectious diseases
hospital, known as Barking Hospital, was opened and in 1935 the
second porton was completed. Before' the war this Hospital, with its
complemen- of 108 beds, was substantially filled with patients suffering
from such seases as diphtheria, scarlet fever and erysipelas. At
the comme ement of hostilities all Barking people suffering from
infectious diseases were sent to hospitals in other districts. So great
has been th fall in the incidence of diphtheria and the severity of
scarlet fever hat since the war there has been no need for special
accommodatn to be provided in Barking for such diseases. It is
impossible to Compute the enormous sums of money which must have
been spent nationally years ago upon the hospital treatment of patients
suffering from diphtheria, but I note from my predecessor's annual
report for 1927 that a four months' stay in hospital for a diphtheria
case was not at all uncommon.
As an aid to the work of the Barking Hospitals, a small but well
equipped laboratory was built and the high esteem this unit gained
many years ago is still maintained. I note that in 1935 no less than
2.792 swabs were examined for diphtheria bacilli but such swabs are
rarely taken now. This fact alone must mean that a significant proPortion
of laboratory facilities are now available for other investigations.
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