Isolation Hospitals Act, 1893 / special report by County Medical Officer.

  • Staffordshire (England). County Council
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Isolation Hospitals Act, 1893 / special report by County Medical Officer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/22 (page 16)
    and appliances, and their use and maintenance, and thus the County Council, by retaining the right of withholding grants in case of inefficient management, &c., would possess a power¬ ful lever for maintaining a proper standard of administration. If the County Council determine to contribute towards the expenses of Hospital Boards, it appears to be necessary that such Boards shall be formed under the Isolation Hospitals Act, as I believe the Local Government Board have given it as their opinion that no contribution can be paid by County Councils towards the expenses of hospital districts formed under the Public Health Act. In the case of those districts which already have been formed under the Public Health Act, it would be necessary to reconstitute them under the Isolation Hospitals Act. I also understand, as already stated, that the Local Government Board are of opinion that the Act of 1893 does not enable County Councils to borrow money for the purpose of contributing, and, that being the case, as the contributions will have to be paid out of the rates, it will probably be thought that they should take the form of annual grants towards the maintenance and management expenses rather than as single payments towards the capital expenditure. At the same time, as the Act provides that ^wwnnwmi'» i;,vbS5S> Hospital Boards formed under it shall borrow from the county at the rate of 4 per cent.,rthe County Council might very well refund a portion of the charge corresponding to the difference between the stated percentage and the percentage paid by the county in borrowing the money, this rebate- ment to be in addition to any further contribution which may be determined upon. Probable Cost of Efficient Scheme. To properly equip the whole Administrative County, I estimate that 640 beds are necessary, so that, allowing for the 144 beds which, with unimportant additions and alterations, may be accepted as satisfactory (see page 9), extra accom¬ modation to the extent of 496 beds will have to be provided.