Report from the Select Committee on Nursing Homes (Registration).

Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Nursing Homes (Registration)

Date:: 1926

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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Nursing Homes (Registration). Source: Wellcome Collection.

110/284 (page 84)

22 April, 1926.] . [ Continued, except a qualified matron or a doctor ?— (Miss Crookenden.) Yes. 13852. Although they are starting it as a business proposition?—Yes, because they do not in the least know what is necessary. 1353. But I might start an hotel, and I have not the faintest notion how to run it, but I should engage a manager who did. What objection is there to any- body if they have adequate capital sup- plying a nursing home, equipping it properly and putting in a fully qualified matron and complying with the registra- tion, and the law with regard to registration, as it might be?—What I meant more was this: I did not mean anybody away from the place when there is a fully trained matron running the home for them. The home I was think- ing of in particular was owned by some- body who was not fully trained and being run by her. 1354. Do you mean that nobody should be in charge of and running a home who is not properly qualified?—Yes; that is more what I meant. Chairman. 1355. Miss Scott, on the question of drainage, do you have your drainage inspected every year?—(Miss Scott.) No, I do not think we do. 1356. Do you, Miss Crookenden ?—(Miss Crookenden.) About once in two or three years; I think it is once in three years. 1357. You get a certificate P—Yes—just get someone to look at it and see if it is all right.” a 1858. I should suppose that would be sufficient in all the circumstances. If we said that homes should be registered, one of the conditions would be that you would have to have an inspection at regular intervals and certificates to that effect, and that would cover the drainage question?—Yes, just to make sure that they are all right. 1359. In your experience how large do you think a nursing home should be for one person to manage it efficiently—is 18 beds quite enoughP—(Miss Scott.) Yes. 1360. You could do more?—I could do more. 1361. (Would you do 25?—Yes, place was built accordingly. 1362. If it was a suitable building ?— if the 1363. You would not go larger than 25 perhaps?—Yes, I think so. 1364. I am just trying to get an idea of what. in your view is the right size for a nursing home?—TI should think 25 would be quite large enough. _ 1865. What do you think, Miss Crookenden ?—(Miss Crookenden.) I think it all depends how much work and how much responsibility you want. Person- ally, nothing would induce me to have one larger than 12; it is quite as much work and responsibility as I want to tackle. Sir Richard Luce. 1366. What about a private hospital? —J was thinking you would have the matron of a private hospital with many more beds, I suppose. | Chairman. 1367: You refer to medical, surgical and maternity cases all being in the the same nursing home; do you think that is a good plan?—I think the ideal is for the maternity cases to be in a home of their own. 1368. That is just the idea that I have formed in the last fortnight?—I do take them in if they want to come, but I think they are much better in a home by themselves, and the surgical and 1369. You said you did not think the inspector, whoever he or she was, who came round to inspect the nursing homes should ask any questions of the patients, and you seemed rather strong about -that ?—Yes. 1370. Cannot he go in and say; ‘Well, how are you to-day; food all right? Comfortable ’’? and that sort of thing P—Yes, if he wants to, but I think it is a private thing and I do not think that you can go in and ask them as to whether they are looked after properly— I mean, it is their own concern, is it not? . 1371. Some of them are shut up there more or less and cannot get out?—Oh, ib is not a prison; they can go out at any time if they want to. 1372. They do not have much opportun- ity of ventilating grievances; I do not think patients are very often partial to ventilating their grievances to the nurses, are they ?—They all can tell me.