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5*
horses used for the ambulance service in connection with
the Hospital and also for disinfection work. In 1905 a
convalescent home of 8 beds was provided for passing the
Scarlet Fever patients through after leaving the Hospital
and before returning home. In 1908 a further block of 26
beds was opened with accommodation above for the staff.
During the past year a "much needed enlargement to the
Laundry has been begun. The accommodation was most
inadequate to meet the requirements, but now with the
enlargement and provision of new machinery with increased
drying accommodation, the problem of adequately dealing
with the washing of the establishment should be practically
solved, at any rate for the time being.
NURSING.
The nursing staff of the Hospital consists as a rule of
1 Matron, 1 Assistant Matron, 3 Sisters, 4 Staff Nurses and
10 Probationers. Practically this staff is subject to a good
deal of variation as, of course, the patients vary in number
considerably from time to time, and every effort is made to
endeavour to regulate the one by the other. The National
Insurance Act coming into force during the year rather
seriously affects nurses ; as they have been in the habit of
having medical attendance, etc., free, it is hard to see what
benefits they are going to obtain under the Act except in
very occasional cases. There is an endeavour being made
to make special provision for nurses and it deserves every
consideration. The work is very hard and trying at times,
so that if some increased sick benefit could be obtained in
lieu of medical benefit, it would probably go a long way to
meeting the difficulty. The success of an institution like
this very largely depends on the nursing staff, and I would
like to take this opportunity of drawing attention to the
very excellent work that has been carried out during the