Report of the Brookwood Hospital Management Committee and copy of audited accounts : 1948-1949.

  • Brookwood Hospital Management Committee.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Brookwood Hospital Management Committee and copy of audited accounts : 1948-1949. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of £395 per bed and was formally opened and occupied on 21st October, 1938. The total accommodation of the hospital now amounted to 1,753 beds. The Nurses’ Home was extended to provide accommodation for an additional 14 nurses and a house built for a Medical Officer. Six additional pairs of cottages were also built at this time making a total of 77 cottages, which had been built since 1924 for the accommodation of married members of the staff. In August, 1939, instructions were received that part of the hospital would be required for establishing an E.M.S. Hospital and immediate preparations were made for 400 casualties. The whole of the Sick Hospital and three Villas were evacuated and equipped for this purpose. There were 1,658 patients in the hospital at the outbreak of war and the transfer of the patients from the evacuated buildings to other wards resulted in the over¬ crowding of many wards, particularly those for the sick and elderly patients. The E.M.S. Hospital was staffed by doctors and nurses largely from St. Thomas’ Hospital and to meet the need for messing arrangements for an increased staff a Cafeteria was opened in the Female Visiting Hall. On the outbreak of war, 30 male members of the staff were immediately called up for military service and in all 60 members of the staff served in the forces during the war ; six of these lost their lives on active service and a tablet to commemorate their memory was placed alongside the 1914-1918 war memorial in 1948. Dr. Lowry retired on 30th April, 1940, after being Medical Superintendent for 30 years and I was appointed to succeed him. I worked with Dr. Lowry as a Medical Officer from 1926 to 1929, and I had been his deputy since 1937. I would like to pay tribute here to his great qualities as a friend and colleague from whom I received unfailing help and encouragement. In September, 1941, the E.M.S. Hospital was withdrawn to make accommodation for a Military Hospital and additional wards were given up to the Military Authorities. The Sick Hospital, Farm Villa, Cottage Hospital, the whole of F.10 Block and part of the Nurses’ Home were handed over to the Military Authorities and to make this possible 578 patients and 48 nurses were transferred to other hospitals. The Military Authorities remained in occupation of these buildings until September, 1946. An out-patient clinic was opened at St. Luke’s Hospital in 1942, and in 1944 a second one was opened at Woking Victoria Hospital. We now staff six out-patient clinics at Kingston, Guildford and Woking. With the passing of the National Health Service Act in 1946, the Surrey County Council abandoned the plan of building a third Mental Hospital as the County Council was no longer