Digital archive

This book is published to mark the 50th anniversary of the NHS. It traces chronologically the major achievements and events in medicine, nursing, hospital development, primary health care and health management. The introductory chapter describes the health services in 1948. The next five chapters each cover a decade, and begin with a chronology of events both in the NHS and in national life. In each decade, medical progress is considered first, then the developments in general practice and primary health care and the hospital service. Lastly, changes at an organisational and managerial level are discussed.

This document sets out to do three things: to make a case for the importance of systematically evaluating a carefully chosen selection of new hospital buildings and their equipment; to review critically the evaluations that have already been carried out and to describe useful methods and techniques; and to suggest a programme of future work. This book is not dealing with the kind of highly technical evaluation of building materials and performance properly undertaken by other organisations. Rather, it is concerned with the study of the use and design of the physical environment to provide information that will be of direct use to future planners and designers. This kind of evaluation will reveal problems that can only be solved by technology, but it will do so from the standpoint of the use and efficiency of the building. What is discussed has more to do with managing, that is, policy, planning and operational principles than it has to do with building science. Basically, it is the quality of decision making about human problems that is in question, not the quantifiable characteristics of structure or materials.

This is an attempt to formulate recommendations for standards of diet and nutrition in hospitals.

These reports present the income and expenditure of London hospitals in tabular form.

This history records the King's Fund from its inception in 1897 to 1942.

The songs in this book are designed for the pre-school child in a nursery or playgroup and for children with disabilities. They are intended to assist the child to develop body awareness, to promote simple learning concepts and to overcome perceptual difficulties. They have been used successfully with children who have a wide variety of disabilities. A 20 minute cassette of the songs is also available, sung by the children of the Joseph Clarke School (for the partially sighted) Waltham Forest, London.

This document is a brief sketch of the enquiry which was undertaken to study the design of hospital beds. The enquiry was prompted by the lack of good designs and the wasteful methods of supply prevalent throughout hospitals. The working party which was formed to study the design of hospital beds directed the course of the enquiry, weighed the evidence collected and sifted it on behalf of the enquiry.

These guidelines have been compiled in response to an assessed need from hospitals for help with commissioning arts and artists. It is divided into seven chapters and includes guidance on the need for a committee; choosing a site; the commissioning process; fundraising. Its recommendations are based on 10 years of commissioning arts and craft for hospitals in London by the Art in Hospitals scheme for London, funded by the King's Fund and Greater London Arts, and managed by the Public Art Development Trust.

One recommendation from a report on hospital catering was that catering in hospitals should be treated as the function of a separate department, under the charge of a qualified and experienced caterer, with competent staff. The Fund decided to establish the School of Hospital Catering. Initially this would provide refresher courses for different grades of catering personnel, short courses for other grades of hospital staff, and then longer courses providing basic training to new entrants into hospital catering. This document gives the aims of the School and provides and outline of the courses. Photographs of the School are included.