ENGLISH HOSPITALS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 64, 8 December 1937, Page 10

ENGLISH HOSPITALS

Hastings Resident Impressed with Work PROBLEMS OF FINANCE Visits to several big hospitdls, notably Middlesex, St. Bartlloldmew's, and the Royal Masonio hospitals, Were made by Mr. W. Brinsiey, Registrar at the Hastings Soidiers' Meinorial Hospital, during his recent tour of Engiand, and he was particularly impress-' ed with the scope of thfe Wdrk being donja in these iustitutions. "It is the last wofd in hospital equipment,'' said Mr. Brinsiey, wheii referring to the Rojal Masonic at Ravenscourt Park. ' "Ihe hosptial has been built regardless of expense, and a feature of the institution is that it Was constructed along unorthodox lines in that first consideration was given t0 the interior, and not the exterioi' structufe as is uSual, "Everything is absolutely the very latest, with modern conceptions and ideas put into actual faGts There is a very complete X-ray department which cost £20,000 ifl itseif, while the equipment of the hospital cdst over £100,000. The building cost £350,000 and is five-storeys higii With 14 electric lifts installed, to say ndtlnlig of a miniature automatic telephotiic exchange of 10O lines for internal use, No Big wardS. "There are no big wafd8 iii this hospital, all being either one-bed Or fourbed," added Mr. Brinsiey. "It is conducted more on the lines of a nursiiig home and casualty cases are not admitted as a general rule. The lieatilig arrangements are a special feature, being provided by oil-burners with special types of radiators. The whole building is air-c,onditioned throughout, aiid such is the effieiency of the installatiofl that a complete change of ait Can be effected in the operating theatres evei'y liVe Ininutes." The hospital normally accommodatec1 180 beds, about the number of the Napier Hospital, explained Mr. Brinsiey, aiid there was ample space available, the Wafds beiilg quite big fooms, With exceptioilally wide wafds, While there was more . air-space to the beds than was usUally found in othef hospitals. While the Royal Masonic was eertainly the best eqUipped hospitai tliat he visited, it was not the biggesi.. The Middlesex Hospital, fot esample, liad accommodation for aboutf 700 beds, This hospital was rebuilt about tWo years ago and certairily was a fine institutiOn, tbough not quite so elabofately equipped as the Royal Masonic. Aiiother big hospital was St, Bartholomew's, which, in addition to beiitg the biggest, was also the oldest hospital in England, It accommodated Over 770 patients, 450 nufses and some 800 medical stndents. "As far as I could gathef, the Worliing hours df liUrSOs iri the main hospitals are 56 liours a Week, and the ttnl'ses receive a day and ahalf off each wfiek," said Mr. Brinsiey.

Hospital Finance. The question of hospital finance waS one that WUs always prominently before the people in the Old Country, continued Mr. Bi'inaley. During the few montlis he was in the Country a number of institutions were calling des--perately for funds, the alternative being to ciose down, or restrict their activities. "Hospitals are financed differently to ours, and there is A big uncertainty about their annual iik c.ome," he said. "The burden in recent years had been lightened somewhat by the introduction of the Hospital Savings Associatlons or clubs, and the Hospital Saturday Funds, but even with this assistance many hospitals Uave to make continued appeals for finance." The Savillgs Associ&tion COiliprised vUluntary membCfs of dflicee, Bhops and factories who paid threepence U Week out of their wages to the asSOCiation, which in tum. paid to the hospital 4/for eadli outpatient, irrespectiVe of the number of attendances, and 4/- a day for in-patients, The SatUrday Fund was made up mainly of publio collections and had a similar arrangement with hospitals regarding payment of fees of patients nominated by subscribers. The association was quite the • biggest contributor and St. Bartholomew's, for example, handled some 3000 or more of the vouchers every quarter. It was admitted quite frankly by the hospital authorities that these contributions were a WonderfUl help and enabled the hospital to budget for a certain amount of ilicome, tliereby giving sonie reliable guidauce and stability. In the north of England 'and ip other paris there Were similar orgaiiis'ations, aiid the weekly contributions ranged from a, penny a week" to threepence, and the people willingly cOntrihuted In this maiiner.