Annual report 1953 / Banstead Hospital, Sutton, Surrey.

  • Banstead Hospital. Hospital Management Committee.
Date:
[1954?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report 1953 / Banstead Hospital, Sutton, Surrey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/36 page 11
    Additional dayroom space was provided in Blocks L, M, J and K during the years 1898 to 1907 and in the years between the two World Wars the eight large blocks (five female and three male), which had dayroom accommodation on the ground floor and dormitories on the first and second floors, were split up as they are today, i.e. the three floors in two female blocks and in one male block became self-contained wards ; the remaining five blocks retained the second floor for dormitory accommodation in supplementation of the half dormitories on the lower floors. The Nurses’ Home, opened in 1931, released the night nurses’ block in the main building and this provided accommodation for a further 42 female patients (O ward). A detached Admission Villa was opened in April, 1932 ; it was built largely as a ground floor structure with accommodation in two wings for 50 male and 50 female patients but each wing has a small first floor dormitory. This was the last addition to the hospital and at the out¬ break of the 1939-45 War the approved Statutory accommodation had reached a total of 2,687 beds (1,180 male and 1,507 female). During the 1939-45 War a military unit took over Wards 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (294 civilian mental beds) and provided accommodation for 400 service patients suffering from various forms of mental disorder. In the war years the hospital suffered damage by enemy action and a small detached villa of 14 beds used for convalescent male patients was totally destroyed and has not been replaced. National Health Service At the transfer of the hospital to the National Health Service in July, 1948, the military unit was still functioning, but was withdrawn in December, 1950, and so far only one of the former military wards (No. 8) has been brought into use for patients’ accommodation. Ward 4 has been adapted for use as Occupational Therapy centres and Ward 5 is used partly for the Needleroom and the remainder for Patients’ Club premises. Wards 6, 7 and N 3 are not equipped but it is expected that capital sums will be available in the next financial year to re-open these units for an additional 113 patients—Wards 6 and 7 will, with Ward 8, form a comprehensive Tuberculosis Unit for male patients and Ward N 3 will complete the male admission and treatment block. Apart from Wards 4 and 5 (which, subject to the approval of the Ministry will be permanently diverted from patients’ accommodation), the Female Convalescent Villa (20 beds) was diverted for use as a Male Nurses’ Home in January, 1952. A re-assessment of the Statutory bed accommodation has been carried out since the commencement of the National Health Service and at the 31st December, 1953, the total approved accommodation, excluding the three vacant wards, was 2,259 (male 813, female 1,446)— the number of patients in residence at the same date was 2,371 (male 855, female 1,516).
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