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20
CHISWICK AND EALING HOSPITALS COMMITTEE.
REPORT ON THE PROPOSED EXTENSIONS OF THE
ISOLATION AND MATERNITY HOSPITALS.
You will recollect that on presenting my Annual Report for 1929-30
I pointed out the necessity for additional beds at both the Isolation and
Maternity Hospitals. As regards the Isolation Hospital I stated:—
“During the winter months so many cases of diphtheria had
to be dealt with that the Diphtheria Block and the Temporary Block
were overcrowded. Although these two blocks may be reckoned
to have accommodation for 22 patients, on 133 days of the year the
patients exceeded that number. At one time there were as many
as 36 patients. With overcrowded conditions such as have been
experienced not only is nursing more difficult but constant anxiety
is experienced in treating other diseases, such as enteric fever or
cerebro-spinal fever, and in dealing with cross-infected cases. Since
the Hospitals Committee was formed in 1921 the population served
has increased from 108,750 to 163,040, and in the meantime only
16 beds have been added by the inclusion of the Brentford Hospital
and these can only be utilised for treating convalescent cases of scarlet
fever during an epidemic of that disease.
It is thus evident that the Committee will have to consider at
an early date the necessity of extending the hospital to meet the
needs of the increased population and particularly the needs in the
way of treating cases of diphtheria and diseases other than scarlet
fever. A block consisting of two groups of cubicle wards for treating
different kinds of disease at the same time is what is most required."
As regards the Maternity Hospital I remarked as follows:—
"So popular has the hospital become that at times we have
had to book cases beyond the capacity of the hospital and even with
that we have had to discontinue booking on three occasions during
the year. On the 29th April, 1929, booking was stopped for the
month of June, on the 21st January, 1930, booking was stopped
for both the months of March and April, and on the 19th March,
1930, booking had to be stopped for the month of May.
The hospital accommodation is recognised to be 22 beds, but
on 153 days of the year the number of patients exceeded this number.
The maximum number of patients in hospital on any day was 33
and the lowest number 9, the average over the whole year being 21.
All the patients admitted were those coming within the scheme,
that is, the family income and home circumstances entitled them to
treatment in the hospital. It is thus evident that the Committee
will have at an early date to consider the need for extending the bed
accommodation to meet the increasing demands of the population
served."
It need hardly be stated that since that report was presented the need
for extension has been more marked each year and this need has been
particularly striking during last year, when on the occasion of an unusual
prevalence of scarlet fever and diphtheria, the Isolation Hospital was
quite unable to meet the demands of the districts served and urgent cases
had to be sent to an adjoining hospital, while others had to be nursed at
home. The pressing need for extension has been evident at the Maternity
Hospital, for which the booking of beds has usually had to be discontinued
four months in advance and many mothers have had to be refused admission.
APPENDIX.