VOLUNTARY HOSPITALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 13

VOLUNTARY HOSPITALS

THE LONDON INSTITUTIONS WORK AND FINANCE REVIEWED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Feb. 4. (Received Feb. 5, at 5.5 p.m.) In a statistical review of the work and finance of London voluntary hospitals in 1935, it was shown that the hospitals have not only fully made up the ground lost in wartime, but have expanded both in beds and equipment at an unprecedented rate. In 1921 there "were 13,300 beds, whereas by 1935 this figure had risen to 18,000. In regard to the out-oatient side of the hospitals' work, the review says the" figures suggest that, the number of new outDatients was nearing its maximum, for though during the 15 years under review the number of out-patients increased by 330.000 to 1,872,000, a greater proportion if the increase took place in the first 10 years, the increase since 1930 being only 52,000. Meanwhile the actual outtmtient attendances had risen by fullv 3,000.000 to a total of 9,777,000 in 1935, and of that increase the relatively greater proDortion fell into the second half of the period under review, due to the development of out-patient denartments on consultative lines and to the provision of specialised long-term treatments.