[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough.
- Birkenhead (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1944
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Hospital lias been so severe this winter lliat unless altcrnali\e acconi- tiKjdation is found for etironie sick and infirni cas- s, it i> ]ifjssil)l(' tliat jaitients siiffeian^^ from acute conditions will rcijiiirc In be r<dii>cd admission in the future. A further increase in the number of najlhcrs (hall with and laxbies born at the H(jspital occurred in 1044. With Ih:- limit' d accfun- modation for Maternity cases at the Hosjhtal, it has not bc'-n jjossiblc to deal with evei\y application foi‘ admission, and it is still nec( ^.sary to transfer mothers and bahies frcjin the Maternity Hiocdc to tin* main Hos])ital often only a few days followinp^ confinement, ddie Maternity Hlock was inspe{d(‘(l hy rei)rest‘ntati\cs of the ('( iitral Miduives D'cml who recognised the heavy handicaj^s assocdati-d with nbsolet' and inade({uate accomm{)dation, and stated that “ magnilicent wtark was being done under very considerable ditfic dt ies. ” fn oi'der to provide bettei- working con(liti(nis, a scdiemc has been draw’ll out for the delivery of Maternity cases in the main llnsjiital. This would avoid the dangei- of ti'ansfers of mother^ during the })uer- periinn, and would also enable the Hospital to deal with a slightly larger number of confinements. TIk' scheme was approved b\ the Council which sanctioned the lujcessary exi)en(liture, but u]i to dale it has not been possible to put this into opei-ation, as the suggest(*d ward to be converted ('ontains sonu' IH senile infii’in rases. It is not at present ])ossible to see how this ward can be utilised until alternative accommodation has been found foi’ chroiuc and senile si(d\. Between 60 and 70 of this class of i)atlenl is constantly heing nursed in first- class Hos})ital beds, and it is urgently necessary to j<ro\ide suitable accommodation for tlu'se eldeidy |)atients, and so rt lease beds for more ui’gent wmrk at the Hos])ital. Stretcher bearers from the B.K.C'.S. still continue to render valuable assistance to the Hospital. Their hel]* is j'articularly appre- ciated in transferring cases to the municipal annexe at Arrowe on Sunday mornings. They have also kindly assisted the nursing staff in the wuirds and o]:)erating theatres after the day staff of ])ortcrs have left the hos])ital, and we ow’e a deep debt of gratitude to the lied Cross for their kind assistance. Alterations and variations in the patients’ dietary have been carried out with the assistance of the Clerk Steward and the Dietitian. A full and varied diet is at present supplied to patients and greatly appre- ciated b}' them. Eecently an additional evening meal has been addeo to the Dietary, but wTiether this can be continued or not dejiends largely upon the maintenance of adequate staff in the Kitchen. Very considerable difficulty has been met in retaining a suitable staff at the Hospital. There is a great national shortage of nurses, particularly of trained nurses, and IMatron has encountered seriom difficulties in attempting to keep wuirds adequately staffed. Townrd^ the end of 1944, this became an impossibility. W^ards wnre under](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28927382_0024.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
