Annual report for the period ended 31st March, 1957 / The hospital management committee for St. Augustine's.

  • St. Augustine's Hospital (Chartham Down). Hospital Management Committee.
Date:
[1957?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report for the period ended 31st March, 1957 / The hospital management committee for St. Augustine's. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    provements and relief of overcrowding which will result from the completion of this project and it is to be hoped that, when next year’s report is presented, real progress in the form of bricks and mortar can be recorded. No additional beds have, therefore, been provided, although the complement at Wonford was increased by nine beds and that at Exminster reduced by ten beds (in both cases for male patients.) The Regional Hospital Board was me.de aware of our disappointment in the failure to acquire a vacant property near Chudleigh which we had inspected and found to be quite the most suitable, for adaptation as an annexe, of the many properties which we have looked at in the past four years. The Minister of HealthJs modernisation programme, for which special capital funds were allotted, has proceeded at Exminster; the sanitary annexes for Y/ards 22 and 23 (day annexe) and for Ward 21 were completed towards the end of the year and are a great improvement. The second annexe for Wards 22 and 23, and the annexe for Ward 20 were commenced in April and July, 1957, respectively and further plans have now been approved for an annexe for Ward 12 and, thereafter, for this Ward’s com¬ plete modernisation. Unfortunately, the hot water services, like so much in this, our oldest hospital, were found to be inadequate for the increased facilities which are being provided, and some of the money which we had hoped would be devoted to the early completion of other sanitary annexes has, of necessity, been used to pro¬ vide new services. The much-needed rebuilding of stores and kitchen at Exminster is, apparently, no nearer realisation; so much of the crowding and lack of proper facilities at this hospital would be remedied if the kitchen and stores were removed from the centre of the old building. We continue to remind the Regional Hospital Board, at regular intervals, of this pressing need. The new Occupational Therapy Buildings at Exminster were commenced in December, 1956 and completion will be achieved by December, 1957, some months ahead of schedule. Their use will provide a nuch needed stimulus to this important branch of treatment and we are now considering how best we can provide for a similar ex¬ pansion at the Digby-Wonford Hospital. During the year the new Out-patient unit at Vfonford came into full operation and the number of patients attending has steadily increased through the year, to such an extent that the department has had to be extended and now occupies almost half the ground floor accommodation. The Medical Superintendent has referred, in his report, to the beneficial effect which this department has had upon the demand for in-patient treatment. We are pleased to record considerable progress in the re-organisation and im¬ provement of engineering services. The third boiler has been installed at Exminster, together with additional plant required to satisfy the increasing demands for electrical current. YYe now have a first class installation at this hospital. At Digby the renewal of hot water services has continued and, late in the year, it was found necessary also to renew cold water pipes, both inside and outside the building. The Regional Hospital Board provided additional maintenance funds for this purpose and the work is virtually now completed. The provision of a temporary steam boiler at Wonford will, we hope, tide us over until a central boiler scheme can be undertaken; following urgent representations to the Beard on the dangerous condition of the electrical wiring at this hospital, we were relieved to learn, late in the year, that a special allocation would be included in the 1957/58 maintenance figure for a complete re-wire; this work commenced in May, 1957* Amongst smaller projects which we have undertaken we would particularly note:- improvements in the mortuary at Exminster and a new incinerator at Digby (both financed from the Board’s Minor Capital allocation), the conversion of Bowmoor House”, Wonford to two residences for medical officers and a start on the installation of a much-needed automatic telephone system at Exminster. Our continuing programme of up-grading the older wards, particularly at Ex¬ minster, has proceeded; we have also carried out improvements to the slaughterhouse (Exminster) and to staff houses at each of the hospitals. We were able to devote a small sum of money to the replacement of all the oldest bedsteads and to other re¬ furnishing and we replaced three of our eldest vehicles, including the utility” motor coach by a more comfortable vehicle. -2-