South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 14 March 1942
Montagu Hospital
250 Patients Attended Daily
We commend to the notice of subscribers to the Montagu Hospital the report for the past year of the Resident Surgical Officer. Mr. J.G. Mar. This reveals most explicitly the rapid growth in the work of the Hospital.
Mr. Mar writes: — The clinical work of the Hospital for the past year has been indeed remarkable. It mirrors the institution’s rapid advancement as well as the increasing confidence of the community in the work it is doing. “Substantial increases in the number of major and minor operations performed hare raised the totals to new record levels. Yet, in spite of a greater number of serious industrial accidents, the previous low mortality rate has been maintained. The heaviest increase has been in the Casualty and Out-patient Departments, where the attendances have risen to the all-time high figure of 43,295-almost five times the figures of four years ago.
“Generally speaking the work of the Hospital has increased by approximately 16.96%, so that in the last ten months the amount of work done was equivalent to that of the preceding twelve months.
“This rapid growth reeled a most urgent demand for beds, especially in these times, when we can ill-afford to have workpeople who man the vital industries, idle for long periods, waiting for inpatient treatment. To alleviate the situation, a subsidiary Casualty Examining Room fitted up where patients were more carefully examined before admission, and non-urgent cases directed to the proper Out-patient Clinics in accordance with the practice in the large voluntary Hospitals.
“This cleared the way for the concentration of effort and facilities on the ‘heavy’ and genuinely urgent cases. Also, a systematic scheme of re-planning admissions from the waiting listings was introduced. By these methods it was possible to obtain the maximum use of the limited accommodations.
“Our efforts bore fruition in the new high figure for patient resident days which now totalled 1779.58 as compared with 1593.58 of the previous year. Further, the previously long surgical waiting lists are now reduced almost to current cases.
“A Blood Bank has been made possible by the installation of the refrigeration plant. Utilizing the most recent methods in the treatment of shock, blood and blood plasma for transfusions are now constantly available to our patients at a moment’s notice.
“Recent discoveries of new drugs and therapeutic procedures, as well as newer, more pleasant, and safer methods of anaesthesia have been introduced. These, combined with my great good fortune in having colleagues from the finest medical schools in the land, have made the latest developments in modern medical science available to the community.
“I would like to remind the general public that with the ever increasing work, the Medical Staffs are working under great handicaps, but we are doing our best to help everyone. In an ordinary working day some 250 patients must be seen, carefully examined and often operated upon, according to their urgency and needs. If at time you have to wait for treatment, please do not misinterpret our pre-occupation for negligence.
“Finally, let me express my sincerest thanks to:
“The Nursing Staff, upon whom depends so much the success or failure of every case, and from whom I have received every assistance:
“The Medical Practitioners of the district, themselves working under trying conditions. yet willing to help and co-operate:
“And to the Board of Management, for their sympathetic understanding of our problems and difficulties in trying to cope with the increasing work, short-handed and with limited facilities.”