London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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West Ham 1947

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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on Sunday morning in the Congregational Church and in the
evening at the Church of England. A Sunday evening service,
conducted by the Christian community, is also held in the
main hall between 6 and 7 p.m. Once a month a Roman
Catholic service is held in one of the women's workshops, and
this service is open to parishioners in the neighbourhood who
may wish to attend.
Miss MacFarlane and Miss Milne-Redhead, Inspectors of
the Board of Control, visited the Colony on Monday, 8th
December. The reporf has been submitted to the Council.
STAFF. A shortage of full-time nursing staff persists,
but the deficiency has been remedied by the employment of
part-time nursing staff. Use has been made of this measure
on an ever-increasing scale, so that one can almost foresee
a time when 30 hours will replace 48 hours as a normal
working week for nurses in these institutions. A disadvantage
in the employment of part-time nursing staff is that those
with children and husbands do not like to work over the
week-ends. This period has to be covered by the full-time
staff, on whom ever-increasing demands of this nature are
being made. The question, too, of wages in favour of the
part-time staff tends against the employment of full-time staff.
For example, it had to be pointed out to a nursing assistant
that, working for a 30-hour week, her wages would be only
a shilling less than what she would earn doing a full 48 hours.
This applicant actually wanted to work the 48-hour week.
It is hoped that measures designed to overcome such and
similar anomalies will be taken in the future.
As usual, I would like to record my sincere thanks to
all officers and staff at this Colony for their help and co-operation
throughout the year, and also to offer to the Chairman
and Management Committee and its officers, on what may
prove to be my last full report to the Council, my gratitude
for their help, advice and supervision. To the staff of the
Public Health Department I express my sincere thanks for
their unfailing and courteous co-operation and help.
FOREST GATE HOSPITAL
(Mental Patients)
Report by Medical Superintendent—
Dr. H. R. England, M.B., B.Ch., M.A.O., M.M.S.A.
The accommodation at Forest Gate Hospital for patients
other than maternity remained the same during the year 1947.
On the 31st December, 1947, the number of patients in
this section of the Hospital was 115 (56 adult males and 59
adult females).
ADMISSIONS. Nil.
DISCHARGES. 1 (female).
DEATHS. 4 (females).
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