The labour movement and the hospital crisis
1922 1922 1920s 21 pages county hospitals with all necessary special departments where such are advisable. In some districts the difficulties may be overcome by judicious re-grouping of hospitals and the extension of such of the existing hospitals as would be suitable for county medical centres. The...
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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/10796/93353EE5-0ED7-4DA4-8409-61CB1E963CD1 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/0941D4F8-F592-4ED1-B21A-AE68E6CD6589 |
| Summary: | 1922
1922
1920s
21 pages
county hospitals with all necessary special departments where such are advisable. In some districts the difficulties may be overcome by judicious re-grouping of hospitals and the extension of such of the existing hospitals as would be suitable for county medical centres. The demand on hospitals can also be diminished by the formation of numerous "receiving stations" in outlying districts where out-patient work can be done, and where cases of a doubtful nature can be taken in and observed for a day or two. Hospital congestion may be further relieved by every local health authority acquiring a convalescent home to which patients no longer requiring skilled hospital treatment, but not sufficiently recovered to return to their own homes, could be transferred. Moreover, the admission of many patients on the eve of a breakdown to such homes might prevent the necessity of treatment later, and so diminish the demands on hospital accommodation. For such convalescent homes, which need not be in cities, many of the country mansions which are constantly coming into the market could easily be adapted. They could be provided at far less cost than additional hospital accommodation, their upkeep would be less costly, and the period of convalescence would be shortened by transference from hospital surroundings to country air. Finally, the acceptance of the "national minimum" and a wise housing policy, including the abolition of slums and all insanitary dwellings, will so far reduce the incidence of tuberculosis and perhaps epidemic diseases that many of the municipal sanatoria and some of the isolation hospitals will become available for General Hospitals or for convalescent homes for the relief of hospital congestion. In all these ways a complete and efficiently organised public hospital service can be gradually built up. It can be done so gradually that the cost will hardly be felt. At the present time the loss of wealth through loss of production due to insufficiency of hospital accommodation and the long waiting lists is enormous, probably amounting to many millions of pounds a year. The saving of this alone in one year would probably defray the cost of all necessary new construction, and the annual saving would more than cover the cost of up-keep and maintenance. SUMMARY 1. The Labour Movement, recognising the importance of health to individual and national wellbeing, considers that all hospitals, both special and general, together with allied institutions, should be so organised under one authority as to form the foundation on which a complete hospital system for the nation with sufficient accommodation to deal with all cases requiring institutional treatment can be built. 2. It would establish treatment centres in out-lying districts, local or cottage hospitals in the smaller towns, one or more county hospitals conveniently situated in each public health area, and national hospitals in London and Edinburgh and other University towns. 3. It would organise intimate co-operation between all the hospitals in each public health area and also between them and the nearest national hospital. It would make arrangements for easy and rapid transference of patients from one hospital to another according to the nature and requirements of the case. 19
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |