Report of Sub-Committee on Out-Patients.

  • Westminster Hospital. Sub-Committee on Out-Patients.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of Sub-Committee on Out-Patients. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    sicians, the House Committee determined that a Sub-Committee should proceed at once to inquire into the whole matter. A subsequent letter, dated the 12th of July, from Mr. Davy, the Senior Assistant Surgeon—since elected a Surgeon of the Hospital —was received, generally endorsing and confirming the state¬ ments of the Assistant Physicians, and showing that the evils enumerated were not confined to the Medical side of the Out- Patient department. Mr. Davy points out that, “ with a limited staff, the nume¬ rical test is a very fallacious guage of good service rendered, and that it is far better to really benefit the few than superficially examine the many.” He also draws attention to the fact that, apart from these considerations, the “ Out Patients’ rooms are not adapted for receiving a mass of poor applicants.” In view of these urgent appeals from the Medical Staff of the Hospital, the first object of your Sub-Committee was to take such action in the direction indicated by them as might, provi¬ sionally at least, mitigate the pressure of excessive numbers and overcrowding, while more permanent measures were under con¬ sideration. The preliminary Report was framed to meet this end, by the limitation of new cases to 15 per diem on the Medical and Surgical side respectively, and the acceptance of the proffered assistance of the Inquiry Agent of the Charity Organization District Committee, if necessary. These provisional recommenda¬ tions having been approved by the House Committee, it was resolved by your Sub-Committee, before proceeding to any further action for the remedy of abuses, to institute careful inquiries under the heads hereinafter specified, keeping in view the end and scope of the paragraph which, at their recommen¬ dation, had been inserted in the Annual Report of 1872 to the following effect:— “ The Committee deem it necessary to state, that their atten¬ tion having been specially called to the increasing number of Out-Patients, and many very serious evils attending the indis¬ criminate adminstration of relief in the Out-Patient department of the Metropolitan Hospitals to applicants, whatever their circumstances or condition, they are convinced of the necessity for a change in this direction both in the interest of the poor and of the public. With this object they have nominated a care¬ fully-selected Sub-Committee to take into consideration any such existing abuses of charity, and report on the best means of applying, if possible in concert with other Institutions, an effective remedy. When this report shall have been received and approved by the House Committee, it is in contemplation to make its purport known to the Governors and Subscribers, together with the practical measures which may be proposed, in the hope of securing both the active co-operation, and the public sanction of those most directly interested in the Hospital and its charitable work.”