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.

    227/284 (page 201)
    15 June, 1926.] Dr. Francis W. UNDERHILL, F.R.C.8. [ Continued. cases as arule. Of course now and again we get trouble, but I have practically all mild cases. 3297. Have not they required attend- ants to look after them ?—Yes. 3298. In each case do they have their own special attendant?—That depends on the circumstances and how bad they are. Sometimes one attendant would do for two. 3299. In that case you would engage an extra attendant ?—Oh yes. I have had many qualified mental nurses and male attendants at different times. 38300. Does each of those patients have a separate bedroom ?—Yes. 3301. You must keep a good-sized staff of domestic servants?—I have to have four, with assistants, I am sorry to say. 3302. Do they all have their meals together ?—Practically all, yes—all except this one gentleman I was speaking of now, who is a little queer in his head. He has his own room and, by-the-bye, I have a friend of mine, a retired officer, who is living with me in the house and he looks after this gentleman. He takes him round the garden and takes him out for walks and things of that:kind. 33038. How do these patients themselves—as being in a private hos- pital more or less?—Well, they are personal friends now; they are not in an hotel or anything of the kind. 3304. I am coming to the point as to how far they would resent, as you say in your paper, any interference in their affairs?—I. mean they would not like their private affairs looked into; that 1s all. 3305. If we had registration of nursing homes, and if doctors’ houses were in- cluded in nursing homes, how do you think there would be an interference with the private affairs of these patients ?— Of course I do not know what you intend to do; I do not know how far you intend to go. If you simply visit a house and so on, as the Commissioners in Lunacy do, I do not mind a bit, but if there is a kind of inquisition into how much they pay and things of that kind, it seems rather hard lines on them. 3306. But if there is only an inquisi- tion into how they are housed, how they are fed, and how they are nursed, is that an interference in their private affairs? —Not with them; with me it would be. 3307. Would you mind that?—It de- pends of course who comes round. The Commissioners of Lunacy are all skilled men, men of standing in the profession and so on. Naturally I am glad to see them, but I should not like what I call some young fellow coming in, or a nurse coming in and walking about my house and making all sorts of inquiries. 33808. How about the medical officer of health of the county?—I should not a bit mind our medical officer of health coming rise 3309. You would not like a matron from some hospital as an emissary from the Minister of Health coming in?—I should not like it, but naturally if it was thought to be the best thing I should not object to it. 3310. I am still rather on what you say about the patients. The patients would not mind that; I take it it would not affect them?—I do not suppose they would mind unless they were spoken to you see. You could not ask a man how much he was worth, and how much he was paying, and things like that. 3311. What is your general view then; you must have thought about this subject. If registration only means that you will have inspection to ensure for the sake of patients that they are well looked after, do you think there is any serious objection to registration?—No. I do not think there is. I think J should rather resent it myself. I would not mind any- one coming into my house, but I do not see why we should be spied upon exactly. What reason have you for thinking we do not look after our patients? 3312. Do you think there is any reason for registration apart from the house which is a doctor’s house?—Apart from the house that is a doctor’s house, I should certainly support it. 33138. Then your objection really is on the lines that you think a doctor’s house ought to be exempted?—I think where people like that come in they ought not to have their affairs interfered with at all. i[f they were lunatics I should not object to it in the smallest degree. If the Commissioner came down, or the Visitor or the Lord Chancellor came down, I should not object to it in the smallest degree. 3314. You said you would not object to it in the case of an ordinary nursing home which is kept by a matron owner. You do not see any objection to registra- tion of such nursing home?—Not at all. 3315. How do you draw a distinction between a matron owner and a doctor keeping his own nursing home?—Be- cause I think I am sufficiently qualified