Builth Cottage Hospital, A Centenary History 1897-1997, by Gwen Davies
Foreword | Acknowledgements | Prologue Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 |
Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Epilogue
The League of Hospital Friends, by Betts Pugh
Builth, Queen of the Wye, by Jim Davies
Chapter Five - "The
Years of Consolidation"
The hospital continued to provide the very best of medical care
for its patients, while at the same time exercising extreme thrift. It
required an unremitting effort on the part of the doctors, Matron,
nursing and domestic staff, for little financial reward to keep
the management of the hospital under control. By today’s
standards, the rigid economies applied during the early years might
be criticized, but it must be remembered that the hospital was
dependent largely on subscriptions and public donations. It
is possible that if later administrators had applied a little of
their predecessors restraint, the financial crisis of the 1990’s
could have been averted.
The main expenditure during the year of 1925/6 had been for the
further installation of electricity , the cost of which had been £63
and which had been met by a town collection. During this
same year 125 patients had been admitted and 33 operations performed. The
Medical Practitioners were joined at the hospital by Dr D Price,
who was in partnership with Dr Black-Jones.
The following year showed a slight reduction in that 124 patients
were treated and 24 operations performed.
Committee members were
extremely sorry to receive the resignation of their Vice President,
the Rev H A Crosbie, due to his retirement. As Vicar of Builth,
the Rev Crosbie was one of the first people approached by the Misses
Powell when they mooted the idea of building a hospital for the
town. As a founder member he had given many years of
valuable service to the hospital for which he was thanked by the
president, Lord Swansea. The Rev Lewis James, Minister
of Alpha Church was appointed Vice-President in his place.
During the year 1927, the Committee had purchased headphones for
each hospital bed, at a cost of £10 each, these had been
most welcomed by the patients.
The social event of the year was the Hospital Ball which had taken
place at the Lake Hotel, Llangammarch Wells by kind permission
of the owner, Mrs Lironi, who organised the occasion which resulted
in the sum of £50 being given to hospital funds.
At the 1928 Annual General Meeting, the members were reminded
that the hospital had been functioning for thirty years and there
was a need to replace furniture, crockery, hardware and bed linen. The
purchasing of these good had led to a heavy expenditure which explained
the disappointing deficit of £61.12.3., added to which,
the financial report showed that subscriptions were s=down. An
appeal was made to the public highlighting the situation and asking
that donations be increased during the coming year.
The Secretary was asked to send a letter of condolence to the
family of Lord Glanusk who had died.
Smallpox outbreak
During the year 1928 it had been reported that 46 cases of smallpox
had been recorded in the Brynmawr district. As a result of
this information being received, a conference of all local authorities
in the Builth area had been called to discuss the possibility of
building an isolation unit in North Breconshire. The representatives
from Llanwrtyd were in favour of such a unit being built in the
Llanafan district, but Dr Black-Jones preferred a site at Noyaddllwyd,
Llanfaredd, which he said was on higher ground and with better
access. He pointed out that the Llanafan site was a quarter
of a mile off the road and many alterations would be needed to
make it a viable proposition. Mr G E Sayce said that, while
he agreed with the Medical Officer of Health that it was the duty
of the local authorities to provide such a unit, an expensive building
would probably become a white elephant once the present emergency
was over. The Surveyor, Mr Thomas, preferred the Llanafan
site and said that the erecting of a wooden building would cost
in the region of £750, which would have two wards and accommodation
for a caretaker and a nurse. Mr R E Richards moved that a
permanent structure be erected, costing not more than £1,000,
and that an application for a loan from the Ministry of Health
be made. Mr W Prothero seconded this proposal. There
is no record of this project being carried out.
The news that Matron Parkes, who had supervised the hospital with
such skill and devotion for thirty years, had decided to retire,
was received with much regret by the Management Committee in 1929. A
collection, realising the sum of £250 was made bearing testimony
to the high regard in which she had been held. Matron E R
Davies was appointed in her place. The Committee recognised
that it could be quite difficult to take over from one who had
been so long in the job, but they were confident that the new Matron
would give excellent service to the hospital and they would support
her in every way.
The Treasurer, Mr Price Griffiths, was pleased to present the
financial report for 1929 which showed a satisfactory result, with
receipts up by £94 and expenditure down by £75 – the
latter being well below the outgoings of other “Voluntary
Hospitals” of similar size.
174 patients had been admitted during the year 1928/9 and 106
operations performed.
Two more nurses had been appointed owing to the increased workload
and it was most satisfactory to note that more and more people
were taking advantage of the wonderful facilities which the hospital
was able to offer. Archdeacon Church Jones commented that
the hospital had grown from small beginnings to being an institution
of great importance. The Vice-President, the Rev Lewis James,
pointed out that expenditure , although showing a degrease in the
current year, had increased five fold since the opening in 1897
and he thought that the public should realise that this would,
of necessity, mean a substantial increase in income, and that donations
and subscriptions would have to be escalated.
Mrs Telfer Smith, who had been secretary to the hospital for many
years, was in receipt of an honorarium of £20 per annum,
but in view of the enormous increase in her work load, the President,
Lord Swansea, proposed that this be increased to £50 per
annum. This was agreed and Mrs Telfer Smith was thanked for
al the work she had done over the years.
An insurance scheme to cover Hospital Treatment was discussed, but
it was felt that it was not suitable for the area and the subject
was not raised again.
In 1929 the hospital carried 18 beds and a cot for infants. There
was still no Maternity Ward, should the services of a midwife be
required for complicated births the hospital called for Mrs Roberts,
know to generations of local people as “Nana Roberts”,
who although not having had any formal training in midwifery,
actually delivered over 400 babies in the Builth area.
The other serious omission and one which caused the Management
Committee much concern was the absence of quality accommodation
for the nursing staff. Nurses slept in wooden huts in the
hospital grounds; these were freezing cold in the winter and stifling
hot in summer time, and were considered to be quite inadequate
but it was several years later before the situation was remedied. Nurses
in 1929 were paid 8/- per week.
RETIREMENT OF Dr BLACK-JONES
In 1930, members were deeply sorry to learn that Dr Black-Jones
was to retire and all paid tribute to the remarkable work and considerable
service that he had given to the hospital for so many years, not
only as a brilliant physician but as a substantial fundraiser. His
interest in local affairs, and enlightened outlook on all aspects
of matters appertaining to health, marked him out as an outstanding
gentleman who would be remembered for many years to come. He
was succeeded in his practice by Dr G P Driver. Three years
later, the news that Dr Black-Jones, MD, JP, had passed away in
January 1933, was received with deep sorrow; members of the Management
Committee at their AGM, stood in silence as a mark of respect to
a great man who would be much missed by the whole community.
Dr Stephen Pugh presented the Medical Report which showed that
182 patients had been admitted during the year 1929/30.
The President, Lord Swansea, had donated a sterilising machine
to the hospital which “rendered instruments safe for their
work”. This machine proved to be of great benefit and
the gift was much appreciated by the medical staff.
Throughout 1931 the hospital continued improvements in all departments. The
number of patients receiving treatment had increased and all expressed
their appreciation of the loving kindness they had received from
the medical and nursing staff. It had been suggested that
the hospital charges were considered too high for working men,
many of whom were on a wage of 35/- per week; but the Rev Lewis
James thought the fees were very fair considering all the benefits
which the patients received.
The Treasurer, Mr Dan Thomas of the National Westminster Bank,
said he had great pleasure in presenting the financial Report for
the year 1931, as due to strict economies being made, the deficit
of the previous year had been turned into a Credit Balance of £44.0.0d.
In 1932 , the President, Lord Swansea, asked for a letter of sympathy
be sent to the Secretary, Mrs Telfer Smith, who was ill and unable
to be present.
The main purchase during the year had been that of an X-ray machine
which was providing to be of immense value to the medical staff. The
money for this machine had been raised by a “Shilling Fund” which
had realised the sum of £289.0.0d. The actual cost
of the X-ray unit had been £180.0.0d and the balance of the
money had been put into the General Fund. Even so, the year’s
trading showed a Debit Balance of £48.14.11d. The
Treasurer explained that this could be accounted for by the purchase
of a washing machine costing £83.10.0d., an essential acquisition
now that the number of patients was escalating so rapidly. The
President commended that, in spite of the deficit, the hospital
was well and economically run and he praised the Matron and her
staff for their continued commitment.
The “Linen Guild”, a group of dedicated ladies who
worked the year round keeping the hospital linen in good order,
presented a balance sheet which showed a credit balance of £30,
for which they were thanked. In the following year they reported
that they had refitted all the beds in the hospital with new sheets,
but due to a great deal of fundraising their bank account still
showed a credit of £59.0.0.
The Rev A S Evans, Baptist Minster, thought that more publicity
should be given showing the public how their money was being spent. As
one you had collected subscriptions for the “X-ray” Machine,
he suggested that is purchase and that of the washing machine should
be reported in the local paper.
In 1933, Mrs Telfer smith tendered her resignation as Secretary
due to her continuing illness. The President wished the thanks
of the committee be sent to her for her many years of valuable
work. Mr T L (Tommy) Jones was appointed secretary in her
place. Mr Jones, together with Capt Aubrey Thomas, went
on to vigorously pursue the collection of outstanding subscriptions,
so well did they undertake this task that the Treasurers Report
of 1934 showed a credit balance of £79.14.2d. It was
noted that Mr Jones had gained new subscribers in every district
and he was congratulated on the way he had put the hospital finances
back into such a strong position. It was decided that the
post of Secretary should, in future, carry an honorarium of £100
per annum.
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