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16
General Provision of Health Services.
HOSPITALS.
(1) The Plaistow Fever Hospital (opened as two wards in
1896 and as to the computed Hospital designed by the late
Edwin T. Hall in 1901) now contains 210 beds, originally allocated
for the reception of scarlet fever, diphtheria and enteric
fever cases, with 15 isolation beds for mixed or staff cases.
The variable incidence of these diseases in recent years has
enabled the Medical Superintendent to receive and treat many
other infectious cases as well as to admit special cases for
teaching purposes, including severe Measles, Tubercular peritonitis,
Encephalitis Lethargica, etc.
(2) Dagenham Smallpox Hospital, situate about 9 miles
from the Borough, occupies a site of 6½ acres, enclosed within
the Rookery farm of 119 acres, owned and cultivated by the
Council. It consists of permanent buildings, capable of accommodating
50 patients with the administrative staff required
for their care, together with temporary iron buildings sufficient
for a further 300 cases. The permanent buildings were opened
in 1899, and the Hospital is a safeguard in epidemic periods of
smallpox to the greater part of London-over-the-Border, as by
agreement twelve other Authorities contribute to the maintenance
of the Hospital in consideration of West Ham undertaking
to receive and treat all the smallpox patients sent to the
Hospital by those authorities, viz., Barking, East Ham, Romford
Toint Hospital Board, Ilford. Wanstead. Waltham Joint
Hospital Board, Brentwood. Billericay, Loughton, Epping
Rural, Epping Urban, Ongar Rural.
Under the Tuberculosis Scheme formulated after the
passing of the National Health Insurance Act, the Council
were permitted to use Dagenham Hospital as a Temporary
Sanatorium for Adults with Pulmonary Tuberculosis, but
owing to an outbreak of smallpox at Easter, 1920, the Hospital
had to be promptly cleared of consumptive patients and revert
to its primary use, a costly and very inconvenient undertaking:,
as only 30 smallpox cases were admitted. Fortunately in 1922
the Council was enabled to enter into agreement with the
Orsett Joint Hospital Board whereby the latter authority will
admit sporadic cases of smallpox, up to 22 in number, sent to
their Hospital by West Ham, thus enabling the Council to
continue using Dagenham Hospital for the reception of Tuberculosis
until the increasing pressure on the accommodation of
the Orsett Hospital compels the Council to re-open Dagenham
Hospital for smallpox cases (see Annual Report for 1925).