London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ealing 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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Isolation Hospital.
| New Diphtheria Block—22 beds | £7,360 |
| New Cubicle Block—12 beds | £4,560 |
| Additions to old Administrative Block, laundry, etc. | £7,000 |
| New Nurses' Home | £7,000 |
| £25,920 |
Maternity Hospital.
| New Labour Block | £6,380 |
| New Ward Block | £14,985 |
| Extensions of and alterations to Administrative Block, including extension of heating chamber, new kitchen equipment, etc. | £11,350 |
| £32,715 |
If the Maternity Hospital were added to the Isolation Hospital the
expenditure of £7,000 on a new Nurses' Home could be saved in the extension
of the Isolation Hospital. This, added to the cost of alterations to the
Maternity Hospital, would mean a total of £39,715, which sum would be
sufficient for the building of an entirely new Maternity Hospital of 44 beds
built on the most up-to-date lines.
As a site for this new Maternity Hospital I have in mind one which is
excellent for the purpose, which is practically in the centre of the Borough
of Ealing and which is the property of the Ealing Town Council, namely,
the site of what was formerly the Smallpox Hospital, between the Ruislip
Road and the Western Avenue. This is at present let as a private recreation
ground. The site extends to 26 acres but only four acres, near the Western
Avenue, would be required.
It might, on first consideration, be felt that placing the Maternity
Hospital there would put the patients from Brentford and Chiswick at a
disadvantage. When one considers that most of the patients travel by
ambulance to the hospital there can be little objection on this ground, especially
as there is no difficulty in all the patients being conveyed to the Maternity
Hospital by ambulance. Besides, at the present time the furthest distance
patients usually travel from Brentford and Chiswick to the existing Maternity
Hospital is about two miles, whereas many of the patients in the Borough of
Ealing travel six or even seven miles. The new site for the Maternity Hospital
would tend to equalise the distance travelled from both districts.
I am firmly convinced that to go on with the alterations first suggested
would result in expenditure which would be wasted when the Isolation
Hospital is later extended to include the Maternity Hospital and that we
would get a Maternity Hospital which would never be ideal for its purpose.
I recommend, therefore, that the present Isolation Hospital and the present
Maternity Hospital be amalgamated to form one Isolation Hospital and
that steps be taken to build an entirely new Maternity Hospital on the site
suggested. This would be a wise and far-seeing policy which I am confident
would ultimately redound to the credit of both constituent Councils.