Annual report of the General Board of Control for Scotland : 1923.

Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report of the General Board of Control for Scotland : 1923. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/408 (page 2)
    adequate nursing staff, to make a fuller use of the provision of Section 25 of the Lunacy Act, 1890, under which patients may be sent from Mental Hospitals to Poor Law Institutions; and of Section 26 which authorises contracts with Boards of Guardians for the reception of patients in these institutions. Moreover, as far as practicable, the powers of Sections 55 and 57 of the Act, which allow absence on trial and boarding out, should be freely exercised. The use of these powers is greatly facilitated by the payment of allowances for the maintenance of patients. In some institutions more nurses sleep in the hospital itself than are necessary for the proper conduct of the institution, and, in the interest of the nurses as well as for the purpose of providing further accommodation for patients, it would be a great advantage to provide increased “Nurses’ Home” accommodation within the hospital grounds, or perhaps in hostels outside the grounds. In many hospitals there are some patients who could more properly be dealt with in institutions for mental defectives, but the amount of accommodation available for defectives is too limited to permit of their transfer, and for present purposes the relief which would be afforded, could such patients be transferred,, can hardly be taken into account. Having regard to the continued importance of restricting capital expenditure within the narrowest limits, the fullest use should be made of any proper methods by which some of the existing accommodation may be set free for new patients. But, notwithstanding every effort in this direction, it seems to be necessary to face the question of providing new accommodation. We are satisfied that Visiting Committees will be anxious to co-operate in meeting the needs of the country without undue expenditure. Where new construction is inevitable, surplus accommodation could be used by other Visiting Committees under contract until it is needed by the Authority providing it. At a considerable number of the existing institutions there is no separate admission hospital, nor any detached villas for convalescing patients and for others who are sufficiently trust¬ worthy to enable them to be housed in detached buildings administered upon the open-door principle. Were these defi¬ ciencies made good, some of the existing accommodation at these hospitals could be set free for the needs of either the locality concerned or neighbouring areas. As to the size of new institutions, Visiting Committees will be aware of the recommendation in the Report of the Depart¬ mental Committee presided over by Sir Cyril Cobb. This recommendation was based on a good deal of evidence, but its application to individual cases must of course be considered with reference to the situation existing in such cases, account being taken of financial, administrative and other relevant considera¬ tions.