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22
and the modernising of the buildings to be made before the
institution can carry out satisfactorily its function as a Public
General Hospital, which it would become on transference to the
Public Health Committee. As soon as the necessary adjustments
are concluded it is the intention of the Council to transfer the
institution to the Public Health Committee.
The cessation of the percentage grants from the Ministry of
Health and the substitution of block grants affected the social
services far more than any other sphere of the Council's work.
As is indicated in the various relevant portions of this report, the
voluntary agencies carrying out work of public health interest
receive their assistance direct from the Council in the form of
annual grants. These grants have been fixed for a three-year
period, at the end of which term they will be open to revision.
Although at first there was nervousness on the part of some of the
Societies, inasmuch as they thought that the Council might not be
so sympathetic as the Ministry of Health had been, the actual
operation of the new arrangement has convinced them that there
was no cause for apprehension. There is the added advantage
that the valuable work which the Voluntary Societies are doing
is now more closely linked up with the official public health work,
to the mutual benefit of both parties, and especially of the persons
to aid whom the Societies have been founded.
Various special reports have been made during the year
dealing with different aspects of the problems raised. Reports
have been presented by the Medical Officer of Health on the
Hospital accommodation, of all kinds, in the Borough, and the
main recommendations for increasing that accommodation have
been approved. The following is a summary of the Hospital
accommodation at the present time.
I. General Hospital Beds (all sources other than private Nursing
Homes)—
Male— Surgical and Medical 180 beds
Female ditto 244 ,,
Children ditto 81 ,,
Total 505 beds
Of these 198, including 30 for children, are provided in institutions
largely maintained by Voluntary Contributions.
On the estimated population of 222,300, the General Hospital
bed provision is one bed to 440 of the population. For a district