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21
Whereas in 1929 the population being served by the hospitals was
stated to be 163,000, the population now served is 188,000.
On the submission in 1930 of my report, which was approved and adopted,
the Committee recognised the need for extensions of the hospitals. On
account of the national financial crisis in 1931 the consideration of extensions
was postponed. The proposals, however, came up for consideration on the
28th J une of this year, when the general scheme put forward by me, accompanied
by sketch plans, was approved of and the following resolution was
passed:—
Extensions of Hospitals.
The Committee viewed both hospitals and considered the
suggestions of the Medical Superintendent for new wards and
administrative quarters, sketch plans of which he submitted
to them.
Resolved: That the general scheme of extensions as outlined
by the Medical Superintendent be approved and that he be
requested to proceed with the preparation of complete plans
and particulars of the general details for consideration at a later
meeting.
On that occasion the proposals were as follows:—
Isolation Hospital.
1. A new block of 22 beds for cases of diphtheria.
2. A new block of 12 cubicle beds.
3. Extensions to the present Administrative Block, laundry, etc.
4. A new block for the accommodation of nurses.
Maternity Hospital.
1. A new Labour Block.
2. A new ward block of 22 beds.
3. Additions to the Administrative Block.
Since going into the details of these extensions with the Borough
Surveyors concerned, Mr. W. R. Hicks (Isolation Hospital) and Mr. L. A.
Cooper (Maternity Hospital), and into their probable cost I have become
impressed by the fact that they require re-consideration.
On a previous occasion when discussing the future of the Isolation
Hospital you accepted my suggestion that the present Maternity Hospital,
which before 1921 was an Isolation Hospital, may ultimately be added to
the Isolation Hospital and the whole become one Isolation Hospital. I have
now come to the conclusion that now is the time to accomplish this amalgamation,
because in the first place a large extension of the administrative
accommodation at the Isolation Hospital would be avoided and in the second
place a large amount spent in altering the Maternity Hospital now would
be ultimately wasted if at a later date the Maternity Hospital were added
to the Isolation Hospital.
If the Maternity Hospital is added on the present occasion to the Isolation
Hospital it would mean the addition of 18 more beds. These added to the
number of diphtheria and cubicle beds proposed would mean an increase
in the number of beds at the Isolation Hospital of 52.
I have been able to get a rough estimate of the cost of the extensions
of the two hospitals as placed before you at the meeting in June last and
this is as follows:—