Report of the Ontario Health Survey Committee.

  • Ontario. Health Survey Committee.
Date:
1950-1952]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Ontario Health Survey Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    58/468 (page 48)
    Built Prior to 1900 Beds in Buildings Not Originally Built as Hospitals Fire Hazard Beds Acceptable Beds Unacceptable Beds* Rated Bed Capacity compatible with satisfactory hospital function. not included here, although they are functionally out-of-date. They are sound, fire-resistive buildings that can be modernized and salvaged. Service Facilities The early part of this hospital inventory has been concerned with the area actually occupied by patient beds. In thoroughly up-to-date buildings this may represent as little as half the total hospital area, the remainder comprising clinical laboratory, x-ray department, operating and delivery rooms, kitchen and dining rooms, business office, work- shops, laundry, power plants, etc. In public general hospitals in Ontario from 35 to 55 per cent of floor area is taken up by these supporting services. Older units are most poorly equipped with service facilities, and in many cases this is further aggravated by the addition of more beds without expansion of the areas that must serve them. Table A24 summarizes the criticism of hospital administrators themselves regarding service facilities in their own hospitals. Each was asked to indicate in writing whether experience had shown the departments enumerated to be adequate or inadequate. All public general hospitals in the province were queried with the following results: An even 100 of the 125 hospitals reported inadequacy or total lack of out-patient and emergency service departments. Ina great number of these hospitals emergency cases have to be taken to the only operating room in the building. The use of an operating room for emergency cases is inadvisable because of the necessity of preserving there sterile facilities for the performance of surgical operations. Lack of space is cited by a majority of hospitals as the reason for the shortcomings of their kitchen and dietary departments, maternity services, medical records, and general storage area. Of the 125 hospitals, 54 said their maternity services were handicapped by lack of labor and delivery rooms, isolation nurseries and sterilizing facilities. Of 144 hospitals, 132 said they had in- cubators, 12 had none; and 16 reported individual infant cubicles. While failure to provide space for the writing and filing of medical records is reported to be a contributing cause in the failure of 106 hospitals to keep the required case histories, another im- portant factor is the failure of some doctors to co- operate with the hospitals on this important part of their work. In 60 hospitals no medical histories were reported written, and in a further 32 hospitals the histories were not begun within the required number of hours after a patient's admission. It is one of the prescribed duties of the board of governors of public hospitals in Ontario to see to it that proper medical records are kept (Reg. 47, Public Hospital Act). Inadequacies of residence accommodation for both graduate and student nurses are dealt with in detail in the section on nursing care. Table A23 shows that 66 of 125 hospitals are critical of the accommodation they are able to provide for their graduate nursing staff; and 26 of the 53 hospitals operating nursing schools term their student acc- ommodation inadequate. Cases can be cited like the one where 12 student nurses are housed in one room.