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

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

Date:: 1926

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

160/284 (page 134)

29 April, 1926. ] 2205. Did the doctor visit you while vou were there?—He did visit me, but he did not know; he did not turn back the sheets and see that they were filthy; he did not know that I was absolutely hungry. 2206. Did you report this to him after- wards?—I did not. 2207. Do you not think you ought to have done?P—I think I ought to have done, but I did not want to bother my husband. I did not want to make any fuss for my own private reasons. doctor knew my husband. My husband was a medical man. He was not in any state to be worried, and I knew if he knew this he would kick up such a fright- ful row. I knew I could not be moved; I was only just delivered; so I thought I would say nothing about it. Then when it was over I thought: ‘‘ Well, it is over ; what is the good of saying anything about it '’, so I said nothing. Now that the opportunity has come for some remedy, some other woman may be saved from it; that is why I have come here. 2208. For all you know the doctor may be sending other cases there?—Yes. I know his wife went there and received very different treatment from mine for obvious reasons, because he is a_ well- known man and a highly respected man. Several well known men in London send their cases there, and I also know that they are absolutely hoodwinked. A nurse does not lie in bed like that without knowing something of what goes on round her. 2209. This is rather a well-known place, I take it?P—I think it is pretty well known, Sir Richard Luce. 9210. Do you say you think that there were no qualified nurses?—I do not say that. I am not at all sure whether the proprietress was trained or not; she was supposed to be. There were two women who might have attended me, and they were both of them very elderly; that I found out after I got there. The woman who attended me was supposed, from the proprietress’s point of view, to be trained, but I am sure she was not. She slept in my room and she was sup- posed to be attending to me only. It was owing to the woman’s chattering that I found that. out. I know there was another girl in the place who was not more than about 19, and she was of the fliohty type; she was not a nurse. It [ Continued. was the dirt of the place; I only had one decent napkin in over a week. 2211. Was this place owned by the matron ?—TJT think the woman in question was the proprietress; whether she is there now or not I cannot tell you. Dr. Vernon Davies. 2212. Was the doctor present actually at the birth of the child?—Yes. 2213. Everything that went on during the actual confinement was perfect P— Yes, absolutely perfect. 2214. That was beyond reproach?—Of course, [ know nothing. I am afraid I had some chloroform. 2215. Twilight sleepP—No, never. [f had some chloroform at the moment. What went on I cannot tell you but I have every reason to believe it was fair and above board, because I know he is 3 man to be trusted. 2216. And personally you did all right? —Yes—well, I had a secondary post- partum hemorrhage some time after- wards. 2217. Was your temperature or pulse taken ?—It was never taken. I know the doctor asked for my chart, and I know the nurse sort of said: ‘‘ Downstairs, Sir.”’ It was never taken. Whether they made a chart or not I do not know; I can only suppose they did, because he was not the type of man not to see a chart. 2218. He did not take your tempera- ture or your pulse?—I do not remember his doing so. I know I did have a ter- perature one night, because you do know when you have a temperature; but it was never taken. 2219. Was I right in understanding that the sheets that were on the bed when you were delivered were not removed P— Never removed. 2290. The whole time you were there? —No; and I had no attention there as . I certainly should have had from a mid- wife during the first 10 days. 2291. Was there anything wrong with your doctor’s sense of smellP—I do not suppose so; I do not know about that. It was the mercy of God that I did not. go septic. (s 9222. T mean sheets a fortnight with- out a change ?—Yes. Dr. Shiels. 2223. Have you any experience of any other nursing homes?—Yes, as a nurse.