HOSPITAL’S GREAT RECORD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 148, 26 June 1934, Page 7

HOSPITAL’S GREAT RECORD

AVERAGE OF 1000 PATIENTS YEAR’S REMARKABLE PROGRESS Speaking at the annual Court of Governors of the Royal Free Hospital, Gray’s Inn Road, London, Lord Riddell, the president of the institution, outlined the wonderful progress which had been made during the year. The nurses’ home, providing accommodation for 250 inmates, had been completed; two splendid new wards for ear, nose and throat cases had been opened; 10 new paying beds had been added; a new pathology department had been installed; and the sanitary annexes in some of the older wards had been reconstructed and modernised. The Albert Levy wing of the Queen Mary building had been brought into full operation, and the patients dietaries had been revised so as to bring them into accord with modern practice. The Royal Free had treated on an average 1000 patients a day. Since Lord Riddell became president in 1925 the hospital had raised and spent nearly £600,000, apart from maintenance, which cost about £90,000 a year. Lord Riddell also acknowledged the great assistance he had received from Sir Albert. Levy, the hon. treasurer, and Dr. May Thorne, the hon. secretary, and recalled the princely gift | of £220,000 by the late Mr. George | Eastman. Sir Hilton Young, Minister of Health, ’ described the Royal Free as a hospital with a history of marvellous progress and growth. It had been Calculated that in the 106 years of its existence it must have dealt with 4,000,000 patients. He noted with special satisfaction that the mortality was the lowest in London and possibly in the whole country. The general death rate of the country showed a steady and encouraging decrease, which was strong evidence of

the continued improvement in the general health conditions of the nation, and the gratifying decrease in infant mortality was one of the proud achievements of the social health services. In the past generation infant mortality had been reduced by one half, but I the figure that had proved less tractcable and had lagged behind in comparison with the general and infant rates 'of mortality was the maternity death rate. In the battle that was being strenuously waged to reduce that rate the Royal Free Hospital was in the forefront.