WAKING TIMES

Evening Star, Issue 20687, 9 January 1931, Page 2

WAKING TIMES

LONDON HOSPITALS VARY There cun bo no hard and last rule as to the time of waking patients in L.C.C. hospitals. . , This is the finding of the Central Public Health Committee of . the council, which was instructed to investigate what advantages, if: any, accrued to tlio patients from being awakened before 6 a.in. The committee, in its report, says that under the late boards of guardians the times of awakening patients at the twenty-eight general hospitals varied considerably. At ten of them patients were awakened at or before 5 a.m.; at nine the times of awakening began at a a.m.. or later, and proceeded by grees, extending in one case to 7.30 a.m.; at the remaining nine the waking hour was not before 6 a.m. •"* These arrangements have been continued.” the report says. “In the case however, of the two hospitals at which awakening took place before 5 a.m. steps are being taken with a view to seeing whether, by some slight reorganisation, the times of awakening cannot be brought more into line with the remaining hospitals.” The committee says that in connection with its investigation it had caused special inquiries to bo made at the Middlesex Hospital (where, it has been stated, patients are allowed to sleep until 7 a.m.). Inquiries had also been made concerning the practice at the Roval Infirmary, Bradford. The Central Bureau of Hospital Information had circulated to voluntary general hospitals a questionnaire to elicit information concerning the time at which work starts in the wards, and opinions on the desirability of adopt'ng a procedure whereby patients would not be disturbed until 7 a.m. UNIFORM ROUTINE.

Replies received from sixty-three provincial hospitals show, the committee states, that in most of the hospitals the day nurses start duty at 7 a.m. Work begins in the wards of forty-five of the hospitals before li a.ui., and in the remaining eighteen institutions an 6 a.m. or later. The routine appeared to be fairly uniform. “ There are. however, sharp differences of opinion about the desirability of effecting a change. The authorities favouring a retention of the present system appear to justify their preference by reasons that fall roughly into three groups:— . . “ (1) That there is no hardship m the present arrangement, though they concede that very sick patients should receive special consideration. “ (2) That the proposed change would not allow a sufficient Vterval between the time at which work starts and the hour fixed for tho visits of ”:e medical staff.

“(3) That most of the patients no accustomed to early rising.” The questionnaire showed that opinion was by no means unanimous on Dm principle of allowing patients to sleep until 7 a.m., nor, the committee felt, could local conditions he ignored. “ Evidence shows, therefore, that there can be no hard and fast rule,” the cominftteq concludes. “We propose that in L.C.C. hospitals, as far as possible, no patient should bo awakened except in special circumstances before 6 a.m.

“ Wo intend to consider the matter further in a year’s time in the light of information then available.”