Rushden Research Group: Health - Sanatorium Report, 1939

Extracted from the archives of Rowan Flack
Former Chief Nursing Officer, Rushden Hospital
Transcribed by Greville Watson, 2008

Northamptonshire County Council

Public Health, Housing, Maternity and Child Welfare Committee

Tuberculosis Institutions Sub-Committee

Report of Medical Superintendent of Rushden House
Sanatorium as to staff of Sanatorium

Short description of growth of Sanatorium

The Sanatorium was opened for the reception of patients on 1^st September, 1921, with accommodation for 68 patients (27 men, 27 women and 14 children). 50 of these beds were allotted for patients from the County and ex‑service men, and 18 for pay patients or patients from other Authorities.

The first batch of patients was admitted on 3^rd September, 1921. At a meeting of the Sub‑Committee in October, 1922, it was resolved to allocate the 68 beds as follows – 50 beds for County patients and some of the remaining 18 beds for ex‑service pensioners.

In February, 1924, the Sub‑Committee resolved that 60 beds should be allocated to County patients, 5 to ex‑service pensioners and 3 to emergency and private cases.

In November, 1924, the Sub‑Committee resolved to allocate 6 beds to London County Council, and to increase the accommodation to 70 beds as previously suggested by an Inspector from the Ministry of Health, allocating the beds as follows:–

60
2
6
2

for County patients
for ex-service pensioners
for London County Council patients
for private patients and emergencies

From June, 1928, the London County Council made use of the two private beds in addition to the original six allotted to them.

In June, 1934, the new 14 bedded block for women was completed and occupied, making the total number of patients 84 instead of 70 (viz., 35 men, 35 women and 14 children).

The new 20 bedded block for women was completed and occupied in December, 1937. This made no difference in the accommodation, as it merely replaced the women’s wooden huts.

Throughout the year 1938 the number of London County Council patients was reduced to two, as the accommodation was required for County patients. On 1^st June, 1938, the children’s block, containing 14 beds, was evacuated, leaving the total accommodation in the Sanatorium 70 beds (for adults only).

Number of staff and scale of salaries

Previous to the opening of the Sanatorium in September, 1921, a list of staff, with scale of salaries, was prepared, but, owing to difficulties in obtaining certain classes of staff and to experience gained after the Sanatorium was opened, certain changes had to be made, both in the staff and in the scale of salaries, so that in 1922 the following scale was in operation:–

	Staff	Salaries
1	Matron	£120 (plus £10 uniform) plus emoluments
2	Sisters	£70 plus uniform and emoluments
1	Night Charge Nurse	£65	"	"	"
3	Assistant Nurses	£40	"	"	"
3	Probationers	£20	"	"	"
1	Cook	£54	"	"	"
1	First Kitchen Maid	£36	"	"	"
1	Second Kitchen Maid	£30	"	"	"
3	House Maids	£28-£30	"	"	"
2	Ward Maids	£28-£30	"	"	"
1	House and Laundry Maid	£28-£30	"	"	"

19	Total

From time to time individual increases in salaries were given after twelve months’ satisfactory service.

This scale of salaries and numbers of staff remained in force until 1934, with the exception of probationers’ salaries.

Owing to difficulty in obtaining probationers, their salary was raised in 1924 from £20 to £30 per annum.

For some years the accommodation had been for 70 patients, but on the opening of the new 14 bedded block for women in June, 1934, this accommodation was increased to 84, which necessitated increase of staff.

For this purpose the following increases were sanctioned by the Sub‑Committee in March, 1932:–

	Staff	Salaries
1	Day Nurse	£60-£65 plus uniform and emoluments
2	Day Probationers	£30	"	"	"
1	Night Probationers	£30	"	"	"
1	Ward Maid	£28-£30	"	"	"
1	House and Laundry Maid	£28-£30	"	"	"

	Also the appointment of a Night Sister at £80 per annum, in lieu of the existing Night Charge Nurse at £65 per annum.

The complete nursing and domestic staffs and salaries were now as follows:–

	Staff	Salaries
1	Matron	£140 (plus £10 uniform) plus emoluments
3	Sisters	2 at £70, 1 at £80 plus uniform and emoluments
4	Assistant Nurses	1 at £60, 1 at £45, 2 at £40 plus uniform and emoluments
6	Probationers	£30 plus uniform and emoluments
1	Cook	£55	"	"
1	First Kitchen Maid	£34	"	"
1	Second Kitchen Maid	£30	"	"
3	House Maids	£28-£30	"	"
3	Ward Maids	£28-£30	"	"
2	House and Laundry Maids	£28-£30	"	"

25	Total

In January, 1935, the Sub‑Committee considered the question of nursing staff salaries and authorised the following changes:–

Present Staff		Present Salary	Proposed Staff		Salary
1	Matron	£140	1	Matron	£140-£5-£160
3	Sisters	1 at £80) 2 at £70)	3	Sisters	£80-£5-£90
1	Trained Nurse	£60	2	2 Trained Nurses	£60-£5-£70
3	Assistant Nurses (Untrained)	1 at £45) 2 at £40)	2	Assistant Nurses (Untrained)	£40-£2.10s.-£45
6	Probationers	£30	6	Probationers	£30-£2.10s.-£35

Also that the appointments of the 3 Sisters and 2 Trained Nurses be designated for the purpose of superannuation under the Council’s Scheme under the Local Government and Other Officers’ Superannuation Act, 1922.

The staff and salaries remained as above until December, 1937, when the Sub‑Committee considered the whole question and made the following recommendations, which were to come into force on 1^st April, 1938:–

Staff		Present Terms	Proposed Terms
Matron		£140-£5-£160	£150-£5-£170
Sisters		£80-£5-£90	£85-£5-£100
X-Ray Sister		£90-£5-£100	£110-£5-£120
Trained Nurses		£60-£5-£70	£70-£5-£80
Untrained		£40-£2.10s.-£45	£50-£5-£60
	Assistant Nurses (with T.B. or Fever Certificate)
Untrained		£40	£45-£5-£50
	Assistant Nurses (without any certificate)
Probationers		£30-£2.10s.-£35	£30-£5-£40
Cook		£60	£60-£5-£70
First Kitchen Maid		£36	£36-£5-£46
Second Kitchen Maid		£28-£2-£30	£32-£5-£42
House Maids		£28-£2-£30	£30-£5-£40
Ward Maids		£28-£2-£30	£30-£5-£40

The number of staff remained as before, viz., 25 for 84 patients.

The Children’s Ward was evacuated on 1^st June, 1938, reducing the number of patients from 84 to 70. No reduction was made in staff until September, 1938, as Matron said she required the full staff until she got the holidays over.

Since September there have been 5 Probationers instead of 6, reducing the total number of staff from 25 to 24 for 70 patients.

The staff asked for 1939–40 is 26. The additions are 1 X-Ray Sister and 1 Maid for the new treatment block.

Reasons for increase of staff

(1)		Greater number of bed cases who require bed attention, including washing, baths, bed pans and prevention of bed sores. This also adds to the amount of tray work for all food.

(2)		The spread out of the new buildings and their distance from the administrative block necessitates the use of 3 Night Nurses instead of 2, as was the case before the occupation of the new blocks and it makes day duty more difficult.

(3)		The new blocks are much larger than the old ones including the Children’s block, and therefore require more cleaning and domestic work.

(4)		The opening of the treatment block necessitates the employment of an X‑Ray Sister. Matron says she requires one extra maid for this block. I, personally, feel that after completion of all the new blocks, and when the men are transferred to them, it should be possible to distribute the work of the treatment block amongst the Ward Maids.

(5)		The majority of the nursing staff and all the domestic staff are working very long hours. With the extra staff asked for, it should be possible to shorten somewhat these hours of work.

I attach herewith list of staff, with the hours of work, which I previously presented to the Sub‑Committee in February, 1938 (Appendix I).

	I also attach:–
	(a)		Short table of the accommodation, with average staff employed, year by year from 1930 to 1938 (Appendix II).

	(b)		A table for the years 1930 to 1938, giving details of number of beds, percentage of bed cases, average number of nursing staff, average staff resident per 10 beds, salaries costs per patient, total costs per patient per week (Appendix III).

	(c)		A similar table to (b) above of some Institutions comparable with Rushden House for the year 1937 (Appendix IV).

J.H.Crane
Medical Superintendent

February, 1939

Report of Matron

The nursing staff from 1930 to June, 1934, was ten. In June, 1934, the staff was increased by one Sister, one Staff Nurse and two Probationers, through the opening of a new block of fourteen beds.

Salaries increase in 1934

Matron	(1)	£140	-	£160
Sisters	(3)	£80	-	£90
Staff Nurse	(1)	£60	-	£65
Assistant Nurses	(3)	£40	-	£45
Probationers	(6)	£30	-	£35

Nurse Levy granted increase of £5 rising to £50, April 1st, 1936, on account of length of service.

Nurse O'Sullivan engaged at £50 June 15th, 1937.

Increases of Salaries, 1938

Matron	£150	-	£170
Sisters	£90	-	£100
X-Ray Sister	£110	-	£120
Staff Nurse	£70	-	£80
Senior Assistant Nurse	£50	-	£60
Junior Assistant Nurse	£45	-	£50
Probationers	£30	-	£40

September, 1938, Nursing staff reduced by one Probationer on account of decrease in number of beds.

Domestic Staff from 1930 to June, 1934 - Nine

1	Cook	£52	-	£55
1	First Kitchen Maid	£34	-	£36
1	Second Kitchen Maid	£30	-	£32
Housemaids		£28	-	£30
Wardmaids		£28	-	£30

In June, 1934, the domestic staff was increased to eleven through the opening of a new block of fourteen beds, one Wardmaid and one Laundrymaid being appointed. Owing to the new buildings being so far away from the administrative block and the increased number of bed patients, it was not possible to reduce the number of domestics when the Children's Ward was closed.

The between Maid is necessary to relieve all maids' days off and helps in the wards when the nurses have days off in addition to her other duties.

Salary increases from April, 1938

Cook	£60	-	£70
First Kitchen Maid	£36	-	£46
Second Kitchen Maid	£32	-	£42
Housemaids	£30	-	£40
Wardmaids	£30	-	£40

H.Williams
Matron

February, 1939

click here to read a report on Tuberculosis in 1919

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