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12
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
FOR THE AREA.
HOSPITALS.
1. For Infectious Cases.
In general the same arrangements for the hospital treatment of
those suffering from infectious diseases were continued. The proposal
that the needs of the three districts—the Boroughs of Hendon and
Wembley and this district—should be met by enlarging the Hendon
Isolation Hospital to be maintained by a Joint Hospital Board was
acceptable to all three authorities. In the light of the provisions of the
National Health Service Act the Minister saw little point in any development
on these lines, so the proposal was abandoned. The position,
then, is that the local Council continues to be responsible, probably until
July 4th, 1948, for the hospital treatment of the infectious sick. From
July 5th, 1948, this responsibility devolves on the Regional Board, which
is responsible for the administration of all the hospitals in its area brought
under its control. The Board is not obliged to take over every hospital
functioning as such at the time of the change, so that the local Isolation
Hospitals might not be taken over, though presumably if they are not
there can be no question of their continuing to accept infectious patients.
In the meantime, because for so very long, over three years now, the
Stanmore Hospital has been closed owing to there being no demand
on its beds for scarlet fever patients, consideration is being given to the
question of its being adapted for use for other purposes.
2. Tuberculosis.
No marked changes have been made in the arrangements made by the
County Council for the institutional treatment of those suffering from
pulmonary or from non-pulmonary tuberculosis. The County Council,
along with most other hospital authorities, has been faced with the
problem of the shortage of nursing staff, and hospital accommodation
in existence cannot be used for the benefit of those requiring treatment
because of the lack of nursing staff.
In March, 1945, the County Council opened a new institution for
men suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis at Grimsdyke. The primary
object here is to fit men who have been through the stages of active
treatment in a sanatorium for a return to full working life.
At the beginning of the year there were 452 beds at Harefield County
Hospital (including 18 for observation), 506 and a further 54 in the hospital
block at Clare Hall County Hospital, 60 beds for convalescent female
cases at Danesbury Manor, Welwyn, 50 at Grimsdyke and 248 in other
institutions. Of these 1,370, 254 were not available owing to shortage of
staff. A further 386 beds were reserved for patients suffering from pulmonary
tuberculosis, mostly advanced cases, at the County Council's
general hospitals. Of these 106 were temporarily not available because
of staffing difficulties.