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39
ISOLATION HOSPITALS
PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION.
The proposal that the Hendon Isolation Hospital should be extended
to meet the needs of the Boroughs of Hendon and Wembley, and of Harrow,
the institution being managed by a Joint Committee, had to be
abandoned in view of the Government's proposals regarding the administration
of all hospitals under the provisions of the National Health
Service Act. During the year, staffing difficulties became very acute,
it proving almost impossible to obtain sufficient nursing or domestic
staff. It was agreed then that the local hospitals should be used for the
reception only of scarlet fever patients, all other infectious patients
requiring hospital treatment being admitted to the hospitals of other
authorities. It was agreed too that of the scarlet fever patients those suffering
from complications should be admitted elsewhere. The incidence
of all infections remained low so that the accommodation at the South
Harrow Hospital was sufficient to enable all the scarlet fever patients
requiring admission to be accepted there. For another year, then, the
Honeypot Lane Hospital was not opened. It has now been closed since
the early part of 1944. The South Harrow Hospital was closed in
August, this being the easiest way of arranging for the staff to take their
annual leave. Because of the difficulties under which the hospital was
run to provide even the very restricted service which was all it could
manage, towards the end of the year the question of closing the hospital
was discussed. It was, however, decided that it should remain open to
provide only the restricted service as long as it was possible to obtain
sufficient staff. It was felt that such an arrangement would make it
more probable that it would be possible to meet the greater demands
for accommodation should the incidence of any of the infections
rise sharply. It was decided, too, that having regard to the staffing
difficulties and to the small number of such cases, that arrangements be
made for those suffering from diphtheria to be admitted to outside
hospitals.
The 121 admitted to outside hospitals was a sharp rise on the number
removed in previous years. Only 28, 2 of scarlet fever and 26 cases
notified as diphtheria, though, would under former arrangements have
been admitted to the local hospital. Measles and whooping cough were
both prevalent during part of the year, and 24 of the outside admissions
were sufferers from complications of measles, 13 of whooping cough.
The diseases from which the others removed to hospital were notified
as suffering from were erysipelas 14, cerebro-spinal fever 8, puerperal
pyrexia 13, poliomyelitis 5, typhoid fever 3, pemphigus and gastroenteritis
1 each.
CLINICAL ASPECTS.
Scarlet Fever.
Admissions:
Number admitted with a diagnosis of scarlet fever, 127.
Number suffering from scarlet fever, 110.
Number in whom the diagnosis was not confirmed, 17.