The second annual report of the North Wales Mental Hospital Management Committee for the period 1st January - 31st December, 1950.

  • North Wales Mental Hospital Management Committee.
Date:
[1951?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The second annual report of the North Wales Mental Hospital Management Committee for the period 1st January - 31st December, 1950. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    55/60 (page 53)
    The dormitories throughout were ('lean and tidy hut very cold. We noticed that the communicating doors between dormitoiies were in many cases 1 >cked. As these doors form part of the system <»f alternative exit in case of fire they should he kept unlocked, or a key in a glass box should be placed on each side of each door. In one dormitory we found three cots covered with nets made of coarse twine in a wide mesh. These we consider very unsuitable and even dangerous and we think an alternative method should be employed. T he high grade patients should be provided with lockers for their personal belongings. The clothing of the patients needs to he brought up-to-date. We understand that this was formerly all made by the seamstress in the home, but that in future it will be supplied from the hospital cloth¬ ing store at Denbigh. The opportunity should be taken to introduce more modern under clothing for the high grade girls together with winter frocks and coats lor better wear. The clothing of the lower grade patients of faulty habits could also be made much more attrac¬ tive and this would in some cases provide an incentive to take better care ol it. Much of the laundry is sent to Denbigh Hospital, but a daily wash including soiled bed and body linen and the dressess of the lower grade patients is done at Fronfraith. There are no wash tubs in the laundry here and water is conveyed from the kitchen. As has been mentioned before shortage of staff is an acute problem at this Institution. 1. The staff employed at present includes:— Miss Fletcher : Matron working from 6.30 a.m.—8 p.m. Miss Hughes: Night Nurse—resident full time. Mrs. Hassell: Assistant Nurse working part time, 8 a.m.— 1 p.m. 7 days per week. Mrs. Hardwicke: Assistant Nurse working part time, 1 p.m.—6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. Assistant Nurse—relieves the night for 3 nights a fortnight—part time worker—36 hours per fort night. Resident, 6.30 a.m.—6 p.m. 1 full day | day off per week. Resident. Miss Fletcher informed us that she was without a nurse every day from 6 p.m.—8 p.m. and from 1 p.m.-—8 p.m. on Sundays. On Fridays the cook’s day off she did the cooking. Miss Fletcher said it was impossible for her to take even the weekly halfday off Mrs. Davies: 1 Cook: 1 Seamstress: