London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Barnes 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barnes]
This page requires JavaScript
53
Hospital Administration.
of age and sex, insured and non-insured, resident and nonresident; 47 out of the 64 derived considerable benefit from the treatment:—
| Insured Workers | 34 | 64* |
| Non-Insured | 30 | |
| Resident Patients | 55 | 64 |
| County „ | 9 | |
| Improved | 23 | 64 |
| Much Improved | 24 | |
| No Change | 11 | |
| Worse | 1 | |
| Dead | 5 |
SHELTERS.
There is accommodation for 9 patients in shelters and 16 in
the wards.
The best shelters are those built to hold 3 or 5 beds and resting
on a concrete foundation. The single shelter supplied on the
ground of economy greatly increases the administrative work, it is not
roomy enough, and the cheaper forms look too much like rabbithutches.
A folding camp-bed answers the purpose very well
provided it is strong, and for this reason should have three sets of
cross legs, two only not proving of sufficient stability.
The crude shelter is painted inside with two coats of a cheerful
coloured paint, and the floor covered accurately with a piece of the
best thick linoleum. It is raised off the ground by blocks of wood
or bricks. All shelters have an electric light, an electric bell and a
plug for an electric radiator in cold weather. The best shelter 1
know of is a revolving one, which mechanically adjusts itself to any
change in the wind so that the back is always to the weather and
the open front is protected. It costs £20, whereas the hutch shelter
can be got for about £4
*In addition to the 64 regular attenders, 34 "contacts" were examined, and
40 others came up once or twice for an opinion and advice.