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(4) One ambulance only will be used as such, the vehicle at
the Harrow Hospital being used only as a van for the removal of
bedding.
(5) Medical attendance on patients will be carried out by
the full time members of the Council's staff, replacing the part
time service of the general practitioners.
Charges to Patients.
The Harrow-on-the Hill Council made a charge in respect of
all patients over the age of 21 years, the Hendon Rural Council
charged all patients, and the Wealdstone Council none. In May
the Council agreed to make no charge for the maintenance of
patients in the Isolation Hospitals, and in October resolved "that
in future no charge be made for medical attendance or for surgeon's
fees in respect of patients admitted to the Harrow Isolation
Hospitals."
In a report submitted to the Committee in October it was
pointed out that 100 isolation beds were needed for the district,
that number to be probably 130 by the time any extensions would
be ready for use, and that land should be available, with the whole
lay-out of the hospital designed to allow of a further addition of
possibly 50 beds. The following recommendation by the Public
Health Committee was adopted by the Council at their meeting
on November 6th—" that an entirely new and modern Isolation
Hospital be erected on land belonging to the Council at Rayners
Lane, Harrow, to provide for 150 beds and suitable administrative
blocks, the same to be of such design and construction as to permit
of future additions."
By Section 63 of the Local Government Act, 1929, the County
Council was required to make a survey of the hospital accommodation
for the treatment of infectious diseases in the county, and then
to prepare in consultation with the county district councils, a
scheme for the provision of adequate accommodation, for submission
to the Minister of Health. A draft scheme was circulated
amongst the local authorities for their observations in which the
proposal was that the county should be divided into four geographical
groups, for each of which a Joint Hospital Board should
be formed, such Board to exercise control over all the isolation
hospitals in its area, and decide what place each should occupy in
the provision of isolation accommodation for that area. The
particular area of interest is the North Circular Area, which comprised
at that time the Urban Districts of Harrow, Hendon, Kingsbury,
Wealdstone, Wembley, Willesden and the Rural District of
Hendon. So far as this group was concerned, the proposals
apparently were not favourably received. Both Hendon and
Willesden Councils were opposed to the formation of any joint
board which would affect their districts; but Hendon was prepared