The labour movement and the hospital crisis
1922 1922 1920s 21 pages TREATMENT CENTRES In every town of less than about 6,000 inhabitants, and in certain selected village centres, there should be "receiving stations," comprising a well-equipped surgery or treatment centre, a staff of district nurses, and two, three, or four...
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| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
| Language: | English English |
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London ; published by the Trades Union Congress and the Labour Party
[1922]
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/2343AC2F-17E3-45DF-BAB2-FD5576EC2918 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/DFA26226-E54E-47CA-87E1-0F0C6960A717 |
| Summary: | 1922
1922
1920s
21 pages
TREATMENT CENTRES In every town of less than about 6,000 inhabitants, and in certain selected village centres, there should be "receiving stations," comprising a well-equipped surgery or treatment centre, a staff of district nurses, and two, three, or four beds for the reception of acute cases and accidents, and of cases requiring careful observation for a day or two only. Patients should be transferred from receiving stations to the nearest cottage or county hospital when their condition renders it advisable, and with as little delay as possible. At each hospital, whether county or local, there should be special departments for all classes of cases which it is deemed best to deal with separately, such as school children, infants, mothers, tuberculosis and venereal diseases. Special maternity wards or hospitals should be available for all patients, and especially for those whose home conditions are unsuitable or render confinement unusually dangerous, or who require operative treatment of a major character. For the purposes of education, all county hospitals, cottage hospitals, and other institutions within the National Health scheme should be linked up with the national hospitals, and form part of an extended system of medical education. DENTAL TREATMENT Free dental treatment and assistance in the provision of dentures must form an essential part of the hospital service. The Report of the Committee on the Dentists Act pointed out that the dental profession may be regarded as the "outpost of preventive medicine," and the evidence of the largest Approved Society given before that Committee showed that "neglect of teeth trouble is the cause of quite half of the ill-health found among the industrial classes." The Committee reported that, "unfortunately, the number of dental hospitals is so few that the amount of work they are able to accomplish deals with but a small fraction of the dental disease awaiting treatment." Following this finding the Committee reported in favour of setting up a public dental service in populous areas, available for persons needing it free of charge, such to be a definite branch of public health work and entrusted to public health authorities. This was an admirable suggestion and one receiving much support from dentists and their official organisations. Indeed, dentists seem to be much more ready for a State dental service than doctors for a State medical service. The Dentists Act, passed by the present Government, does not, unfortunately, follow the unanimous findings of the Committee in respect to the establishment of a public dental service as part of the hospital system. VISITING NURSES AND HOME HELPS The need for visiting nurses in the home, as well as for home helps, has been widely recognised, and it is desirable that a complete nursing service should be co-ordinated with, and radiate from, the hospitals. A few Approved Societies have been able to make some provision as regards nursing, but altogether apart from the question that large numbers are not insured under the National Health Insurance scheme, it is not desirable that insured persons should be dependent on a given society earning a surplus before they 14
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