ROAD ACCIDENT PATIENTS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 3, 27 July 1928, Page 6

ROAD ACCIDENT PATIENTS

CpST -TO/ HOSPITALS,, SCHISM'S FOR MAKING MOTORISTS' PAY. LONDON, Juno 1. The Voluntary Hospitals Commission, in them final report, just issued as a stationery publidrlion, state that the increasing frequency of motor accidents is placing a burden on many hospitals, and the charge ought • not to fall upon fund s largely front the charitable for the relief of personsWhile the possession of a motor is very far from being evidence of alfluence, those who cap afford to maintain u car would suffer no hardship if. by some system ,of compulsory insurance they were required to pay the premium, comparatively small, which would be needed to cover the treatment of their own injuries as well as tlijose which might be caused to others. It is recognised that the proposal would involve legislation, possibly of a controversial character, but the commission can see no other why of imposing the charge on those by whom in equity it should ho borne. “There is no ground for apprehension as to the ability of the voluntary hospitals, to provide funds for the maintenance of the necessary additional beds,” the commission state on the general subject of their inquiry. Having referred to a previous repot t, which stressed the hardship caused by the deficiency of beds due to the inability of the hospitals to undertake extensions during the war years, the commission say that statistics for the period up to the end of 194 G indicated that during the preceding period of. two and a half years the hospitals had shown marked activity in the matter of extensions. The expansion had been, both more .rapid and more widespread than the commission had reason to anticipate when they prepared their previous report Although in 1925 a Substantially larger number of beds had to be maintained than ill the previous year, the excess of income over expenditure amounted to as much as £734,000, or "over £IOO,OOO more than In 1924.