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
Willesden 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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150
The Functions of the Municipal Hospital.
The Willesden Isolation Hospital was extended to a total of 162 beds in 1904, when the population
of Willesden was estimated at 130,000. During the War a re-arrangement of the Bed Accommodation
was effected and a few structural alterations made which resulted in an increase of the
accommodation to 213 beds now utilised as follows:—
For Infectious Diseases 150 beds.
For Women (Maternity Cases, Diseases of Women) 17 beds and
14 bassinettes.
For Diseases of Children up to 14 years of age 32 Cots.
It is interesting to note that the Willesden Hospital was extended in 1904, after concurrent
epidemics of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria had occurred in each of the two successive years 1901
and 1902, and now after a lapse of 18 years and after concurrent epidemics of Scarlet Fever and
Diphtheria, have again taken place in two successive years, namely 1919 and 1920, in a population
increased to 170,000 the question of the extension of the Hospital again becomes acute.
The admissions to the Municipal Hospital since 1904, when the Hospital was extended, have been as follows:—
| Year. | Total Admissions. |
|---|---|
| 1904 | 552 |
| 1905 | 613 |
| 1906 | 818 |
| 1907 | 760 |
| 1908 | 854 |
| 1909 | 775 |
| 1910 | 437 |
| 1911 | 470 |
| 1912 | 599 |
| 1913 | 721 |
| 1914 | 979 |
| 1915 | 706 |
| 1916 | 590 |
| 1917 | 510 |
| 1918 | 763 |
| 1919 | 1,704 |
| 1920 | 2,500 |
On Monday midnight th 15th November, the beds at the Hospital were occupied as follows:-
| Scarlet Fever | 75 | 139 |
| Diphtheria | 54 | |
| Other Infectious Diseases | 10 | |
| Total Infectious Diseases | ||
| Maternity Cases | 18 plus 18 babies | 57 plus 21 babies |
| Diseases of Women | 9 plus 3 babies | |
| Children under 5 | 17 | |
| School Children | 13 | |
| Total Mothers and Children | ||
| Other cases (Women) | 5 | |
| Total Other Cases | 5 | |
| Total No. in Hospital at Midnight, Monday, 15/11/20 | 201 plus 21 babies | |
| Empty Beds | 5 | 12 |
| Empty Cots | 7 | |
| Total No. of Empty Beds | ||
It will be noted that the number of beds here given, exceeds the recognised number in the
Hospital, as various makeshift arrangements have had to be introduced to meet the epidemic
conditions.
No case of Diphtheria has been refused admission to the hospital, but in addition to the 75
ases of Scarlet Fever in Hospital at Midnight on the 15th inst., there were 55 which were being
nursed at home.
Present Difficulties.
The difficulties at the present time occur firstly, on account of actual lack of accommodation
to deal with the occurrence at the same time of epidemics of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria, and
secondly, because there are no separation beds at the Hospital.
Infections Diseases.—In respect of Infectious Diseases cases, it is often requested that a case
in which the diagnosis is doubtful should be taken in for observation. There is no separation bed
or cubicle to put such a case. In non-epidemic times, such a case used to have a whole ward allocated