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48
making the suggestion, a few years ago, that the Managers
should endeavour to obtain a further site to the west or southwest
of the Metropolis, which should be available for an additional
hospital for convalescent patients—having in view the possible
exigencies of an epidemic, and taking into account the requirements
of London as a whole.
FEVER HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.
The Royal Commission (1882) recommended provision of sites
and buildings capable of accommodating 3000 fever patients. " Of
the 3000 cases, those in the earlier stages, probably about half,
should be provided for in the near neighbourhood of London;
the other half—the convalescents—in two other country hospitals."
The recommendation of the Commission that the Town
hospitals should " become in the main fever hospitals" has
been carried into effect. These hospitals, the Commission
thought, would, " with the aid of another hospital, which appears
to be indispensable for the east of London, fully accommodate
all the cases requiring London treatment." With a view to give
effect to the recommendation of the Commission, the Managers
originally intended to provide another hospital for East London.
This intention was subsequently abandoned, a site being obtained
at Winchmore Hill, nine miles north-east from Charing Cross,
on which the " Northern Hospital," with normal accommodation
for 480 convalescent patients, has been erected.
The total provision for "Fever" is now 2463 beds, a
number that falls considerably short of the recommendation of the
Commission. " On the other hand," as we were told by the
Asylums Board in May, 1887, " the number of fever patients
annually under treatment at any one time during 1886, though
in advance of those of the eight previous years," did not exceed
742, so that, as it was further stated, "up to the present time
the recommendation that the Managers should provide for 3000
fever patients has not been justified by subsequent experience."