[Report 1930] / Medical Officer of Health, Lanark County Council.

  • Lanarkshire (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1930
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1930] / Medical Officer of Health, Lanark County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/642 (page 18)
    INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITALS. There are 340 nominal beds available for the treatment of infec- tious diseases, and the three institutions:—Motherwell, Lightburn, and Roadmeetings are used for patients residing in any part of the new combination of districts. The accommodation for infectious cases has been increased slightly by taking in the Pavilion at Light- burn that was formerly reserved for cases of tuberculosis. Cases are admitted to Lightburn, Motherwell, and Roadmeetings from recognised areas, but these have already been varied from time to time to meet the requirements of the moment. The concentration of certain infectious diseases in one hospital has been practised in the case of puerperal fever, puerperal pyrexia, and ophthalmia neonatorum, and an extension of the policy to include epidemic diseases of the nervous system is under consideration. The 340 beds may be considered sufficient for ordinary purposes, but any considerable epidemic causes the accommodation to be fully taxed. The addition of pneumonia to the list of notifiable diseases, and the increasing proportion of cases removed to hospital,, have accentuated the difficulties experienced during epidemic periods. No systematic provision has been made for dealing with outbreaks of measles and whooping-cough, and if beds were available, arrange- ments might be made for the treatment of children suffering from acute rheumatism. Plans have been prepared for extensions at Motherwell and Lightburn Hospitals to the extent of 154 beds. SANATORIA, Ac. Pulmonary Cases.—The accommodation for the treatment of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in its active and sub-active forms is pro- vided at Shotts, Longriggend, and Roadmeetings. At Roadmeetings there is no provision for segregation of cases. There is always a waiting list for these institutions, and even urgent cases have to wait four to six weeks for a bed. This state of affairs can be remedied : (1) by removing all the non-pulmonary cases presently in these sanatoria to an extended institution at Stonehouse; and (2) by admitting to Hairmyres sub-active cases of pulmonary tuberculosis who may require modified rest, but are capable of undergoing modified training,