Annual report of the Mental Hospitals Committee : in relation to the County Mental Hospitals at Brockwood & Netherne : 1939.

  • Surrey (England). County Council.
Date:
1939
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report of the Mental Hospitals Committee : in relation to the County Mental Hospitals at Brockwood & Netherne : 1939. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    107/112 (page 101)
    BOTLEYS PARK COLONY. REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS AND AN INSPECTOR OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL. 15th June, 1939. Since the visit paid by a Commissioner on 24th June last year, 316 patients have been admitted. At our visit to-day there were 348 males and 366 females, a total of 714 patients in residence. One hundred and eighty-seven of the adult and low grade females are accommodated at Murray House: all of the remainder of the patients are in the new buildings at Botleys Park. The accommodation at Botleys Park consists of eleven villas on the female side and ten on the male side. Six of the former are for children. The total accommodation at Botleys Park and Murraj^ House is for 1,482 patients. Good progress has been made in the lay-out of the grounds and a kindly gift of shrubs makes an attractive display. It has not yet been possible to make separate ward gardens. These are urgently needed in connection with the two wards M.l and F.l, which are reserved for difficult patients. These patients are taken for walks and some of them play games under supervision, but, until enclosed ward gardens are made, the time spent out-of-doors is necessarily limited. The admirable recreation hall has a stage for entertainments and at one end an altar which can be screened off when not required for divine service. A Hammond electric organ has been installed. Adjoining the hall are the library and a small kitchen which will be used at entertainments and also for training patients in cooking. Excellent workshops have been erected on the male side. At the time of our visit some 25 boys were employed at carpentering, brush¬ making, cobbling and tailoring. With so much work to be done in the grounds the majority of able-bodied males are employed out-of- doors. We hope that it will soon be possible to provide workshops for the training of female patients. The laundry is fitted throughout with modern apparatus, including a dry cleaning machine, which is invaluable in a colony. At the time of our visit 30 female patients were employed in the laundry. They do a good eight hour day’s work and enjoy it. We would like