Annual report of the Runwell Hospital : 1949.

  • Runwell Hospital (Essex, England)
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Runwell Hospital : 1949. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    24/30 (page 22)
    Five hundred and twenty-nine (213 M. 316 F.) either left or were discharged during the same period. This indeed is a highly geared turnover of patients. The number of direct admissions for the first approximately 111 months of this year appear to be more or less at the same rate. There are 4 Social Workers whose services are of value both outside the hospital and to the patients and medical staff within the hospital. Compared with other mental hospitals the over-crowding at this hospital is negligible: according to the figures placed before us there is a deficiency both by day and by night of accommodation for 6 men and 32 women. The type of work and the type of buildings at this hospital would make over¬ crowding a handicap of a severe nature if it were materially to increase. As it is, it is possible to have first-class classification of patients. Dr. Weil-Malherbe is the Director of Research: he has a number of assistants and the work of research has so developed that there is no accommodation available for expansion. An innovation which has proved of great interest is the holding twice a month of a “medical discussion”: these discussions are naturally available for all the medical staff within the hospital and it is satisfactory to say that any from outside the hospital are welcome to attend them. The Matron is in charge of both the male and female nurs¬ ing staffs. Neither are up to full strength but the shortage is felt particularly on the female side. There are 80 male nurses and 109 female nurses : 27 of the latter are on a part-time basis. There are 5 wardmaids on the male side and about 11 on the female side. Throughout our visit we thought the nursing generally to be of a high standard, and we would like to say how appreciative we were of the manner in which the nurses over¬ come their several difficulties when bearing in mind the shortage in numbers for a hospital of this nature which is constructed in the main in small units. We were informed it was hoped to start a Preliminary Training School next January, and an Educational Officer for this purpose is to be obtained. The patients were generally quiet and contented; the com¬ plaints we had were on the score of detention or the like, except for one, the subject matter of which is to be enquired into by the hospital. They spoke well of the meals which were served to them and the comfortable surroundings in which they live. There are no private patients but there are 4 men and 7 women occupying amenity beds. These cost £1 4. 6. a week. The weekly maintenance cost per head, as last ascertained, was £4 6. 11.