Related to Horton Hospital Malaria Therapy Unit
Description:

‘For Mental Nursing Committee

9^th June 1938.

Report on Visit to Approved Hospital.

HORTON HOSPITAL, EPSOM.

Purpose of Visit- Routine.

Date of Visit- First visit on 23^rd May 1938 by Miss Willis and Miss Hogg.

Number of Beds ... F.1636, M.542 = 2178 (Males to be increased shortly to 681)

Number of beds occupied on day of visit ... F.1564, M.530 = 2094

Average daily occupation for preceding year ... F.1636, M.545 = 2181.

We visited the above hospital on May 23^rd, 1938, and were received by the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Nichol [sic] and the Matron, Miss Lowman, S.R.N. (West London Hospital), who took us round the hospital.

Buildings- This hospital was built in 1902, and consists of two main administrative blocks, one for males and one for females, and 6 villas – two for admission, and one for G.P.I. , three for convalescent patients. There is an Operating Theatre, adequate, but a new Theatre Unit is to be built this year. This hospital supplies all the injections for Malaria Treatment throughout the country, and has a good Pathological Department. There are two Nurses’ Homes; each Nurse has a comfortable, well-furnished bedroom, the Sisters are allowed to have a patient for cleaning their rooms. The grounds are extensive, but not well kept. There is a very nice Chapel in the grounds.

Class of case- All types of acute and chronic nervous and mental disorders. The beds are graded, there are 24 Female Wards and 6 Male Wards containing 33 to 118 beds in each Ward. The Male patients are under the Matron’s administration, and the Female Nurses all work in the Male Wards with the Male Nurses with a Sister in Charge [sic]. All the Wards lacked finish, and there appeared to be very little Occupational Therapy to keep the patients happy. The Matron said the Male patients would not work in the grounds.

Nursing staff- Matron, 3 Assistant Matrons, all S.R.N., and R.M.P.A. certificate. 2 Night Sisters, R.M.P.A. certificate, R.M.N. by experience, 14 Sisters – 12 R.N.M. by experience and 4 by Examination. 104 Charge Nurses, 13 registered by experience and 5 by Examination. 56 Staff Nurses, all R.M.P.A. certificate. 112 Probationers, (48 Probationers short, 28 married women who have had training in Mental Work filling in the vacancies). Male Staff- 4 Head Male Nurses, 7 Chief Charge Nursees, 20 Charge Nurses, 61 Staff Nurses and Probationers. The Head Male Nurse is R.N.M., and R.M.P.A. certificate, the other trained Nurses- R.M.P.A. certificate. The Nursing Staff appeared to be of a poor type, the Probationers mostly of Elementary School Education. They were all neat and tidy.

There are 5 Resident Medical Officers and 3 non-resident.

Teaching Facilities:

Lectures given by- The Medical Superintendent and Resident Medical Officers, and the two Assistant Matrons, one taking the senior Probationer Classes, and the other the junior. Attendence at lectures is compulsory, and all Nurses have more than six months’ bedside nursing.

Class room accommodation- The Lecture Room is satisfactory with desks and blackboard, but the Charts old, and need renewing. The Practical Class Room a dark room with nothing in it but an old Sterilizer and a large round table. Some equipment kept in a cupboard outside the room.

Equipment-

Is the Equipment satisfactory? Fairly so.

Are the following provided?

Skeleton Yes

Disarticulation Bones Some

Models A brain

Charts and Diagrams Old expect [sic] for one of the Spinal Cord

Ward equipment Some

Reference Library No

Remarks- This hospital lacks finish throughout; the Superintendent said the type of Probationer entering for training was of poor education and unable to cope with the General Nursing Council Examinations.

Recommendation

That a properly equipped Practical Class Room be supplied according to the General Nursing Council’s requirements.

Signature – KATHLEEN M. WILLIS.

MARGARET HOGG.

Date – May 25^th, 1938.’