Annual report of the Royal Infirmary, Sunderland : 1946.

  • Sunderland Royal Infirmary.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Royal Infirmary, Sunderland : 1946. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/32 (page 13)
    Arthritic Clinic. The methods of treating rheumatoid arthritis, discovered and elaborated in this hospital, have been adopted in many other clinics throughout the country, and considerable interest has been shown in the new' treatment during recent months, both nationally and internationally. A special department now deals with this disability, where the services of a team of specialists are available to all sufferers, and it must be emphasised that the special methods which have aroused such interest are only part of the treatment given. Special thanks are due to those members of the staff whose duties have been made particularly heavy by the clerical work resulting from the enquiries which have poured in from all parts of the world. FINANCE. At present, the main consideration of the Board is to steer a proper course until the vesting date, but this is far from easy. The hospital’s services have been maintained, improved and extended, but this policy, along with steeply rising costs and the curtailment of appeals activities, has resulted in substantial losses. The year 1947 will see all the invested funds of the hospital, which have been accumulated over many generations, entirely exhausted with the exception of those earmarked for special purposes. The accounts for the year show a working loss of ,£34,033, compared with a loss of £6,994 in 1945, as the following summary shows :— 1945 1946 £ £ Ordinary Expenditure 96,457 125,751 Ordinary Income 89,463 91,718 Working deficit for the year 6,994 34,033 Deduct free legacies received 3,971 6,674 Leaving a net deficit of ... 3,023 27,359 The total expenditure for 1946 was £29,294 greater than in the previous year, and the weekly cost of treating each in-patient was £7 - 1 - 11 compared with £5 - 19 -4 in 1945. he trend of expenditure is reflected in the following larger items 1943 1944 1945 1946 £ £ £ £ Provisions ... 9,369 11,588 13,052 13,552 Surgery and Dispensary 9,965 12,390 13,051 19,117 Domestic Expenses... ... 12,183 14,626 16,098 19,665 Salaries and Wages : Medical Staff 3,429 3,823 3,850 5,445 Nursing Staff ... 16,955 17,879 20,020 27,748 Other Employees ... 11,118 13,604 17,958 24,989 The very large increases in salaries and wages are primarily due to the higher rates awarded to the staffs of nearly every department and to the appointment of additional staff to cope with the increase of work. The expenditure on salaries and wages during 1947 will be considerably higher than in the preceding year.