Hospitals for all (1948)

[Music] Scotland's hospitals there are some 400 of them are now in the National Health Service this film will show you some of the many facilities available in these Hospitals and Clinics in the new service in which they all play their part in the past they were managed by voluntary bodies as at Edinburgh Royal infirmary or by local authorities now they have been transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland on whose behalf they are administered by five Regional Hospital boards the day-to-day running of the hospitals however is carried out much as before by local Boards of management the larger hospitals in the cities and Big Towns provide the more specialized forms of treatment and and are also used as training schools for doctors and nurses District hospitals can undertake the less highly specialized work country General hospitals are suited for people requiring long-term treatment while the cottage hospitals serve the people in the neighborhood and are often used as clinics for consultation into this National system have come the seven hospitals which the Department of Health for Scotland built and administered during the war by looking at three of these we can get an idea of how hospitals can serve the community under a system of central Administration here on the Braes of balak Mile made famous by the song of Robert Burns stands Bal Mile House purchased by the Department of Health in 1939 the Bon BRS are almost treeless now after wartime calls upon Timber and in the still beautiful grounds of the hospital fewer Greenwood Echoes ring among the Braes of Bak mile Bak mile Hospital which you see now was completed late in 1940 in time to receive along with the lore and Kar hospitals the injured from the clyd side Blitz of 1941 these hospitals were located in the country far away from busy towns and danger areas and from the beginning were used for men and women from the services and for the victims of Air Raids in the months following D-Day some 22,000 casualties were admitted to these emergency hospitals and ambulance convoys like these were common sites between 1941 and 1945 several thousands of the sick and injured from the War factories and workshops were admitted to the Department's hospitals but even then beds still stood empty so the department opened the doors first to patients from the depressingly long waiting lists of the overburdened voluntary hospitals and then when the war had ended to everybody today under the new service these hospitals are like other hospitals part of a national organization in each Hospital there are highly specialized departments and should you need the assistance of any one of them your doctor can get get into direct touch with a medical superintendent of the hospital serving your area and arrange for your admission with the least possible delay the more highly specialized the treatment the more accurate the diagnosis must be so first class equipment is needed here in the x-ray department at B mile is precision apparatus being used by skilled hands and now here is the result what could not be seen or felt is now shown on the X-ray plate and the diagnosis is discussed in a consultation between the radiologist and the clinical specialist should an operation be necessary the surgeon must have at his command a wide range of instruments and apparatus here is one of the operating theaters at B mile Hospital fully equipped for modern major surgery typical are the facilities at all large hospitals the operation you see is for acute appendicitis note the calm confidence of the skilled surgical team you don't enjoy watching an operation if you were the patient you would know nothing of what was going on thanks to this in genius anesthetic apparatus note the movement of the knob below the Bellows it shows the rate and depth of the patient's breathing and enables the anties to control the anesthetic with delicate precision after an operation the rigid care of the theater is continued in the ward when changing dressings for the nurse the round of dressings is but one of the everyday tasks which are her contribution to the recovery of the patients Bok mile hospital has a unit devoted to plastic surgery here you see contracture of fingers the result of a burn which left the hand comparatively useless after a simple skin grafting operation the boy could use his hand again this man's disfigurement was due to nitric acid burns see him now after skin grafts on the forehead eyelid and eyebrow and the fitting of an acrylic eye not so long ago uncycled disfigurement caused some unfortunates to shut themselves away from their fellows in others gross scarring produced ugly contractures and crippling deformities by plastic surgery many patients like this man are restored to normal life and usefulness the dental department is specially equipped to deal with injuries to the mouth and jaw to set a badly fractured jaw the dentist first takes an impression from this metal splints are fashioned by the dental mechanic the splints have been fitted over the patient teeth and are now wired together and locked in position where they remain until the broken fragments of the Jawbone have firmly United but what about less spectacular ailments tonsilitis every winter your nose always was blocked your hearing not what it was your doctor will probably suggest the consultation with an ear nose and throat specialist here is one at work before advising treatment he will make a full examination of throat and nose and ears only certain hospitals are fully equipped for this speciality but there is bound to be one for your area to which your doctor can send you for diagnosis free provision of spectacles is one of the benefits under the National Health Service your doctor must certify that you need Optical treatment and he may advise you to go to an optician but he may wish you first of all to consult an oculist or Opthalmic surgeon at the local hospital here is an eye specialist examining a patient with an opthalmoscope before prescribing the proper lenses to correct her vision starro hospital is the subject of our next visit it lies near edel On The Fringe of the grampion the mansion house is occupied by the medical superintendent and other members of the senior staff the wards are dispersed about the grounds in the orthopedic Department of this Hospital adjoining the operating theater is the plaster room essential for the treatment of fractured or malformed limbs here a plaster jacket is being applied for the treatment of a spinal injury the patient's position is maintained by the support of straps from the roof which take his weight the early Car of children suffering from spinal and other deformities and especially the prevention of these deformities is a pressing duty of the Health Service under Expert Medical and surgical care this unfortunate young lady will eventually be straight and strong like these healthy young specimens who are well on the way to complete recovery orthopedic clinics try to ensure that by preventative as well as by Curative measures no child shall be condemned for life to be a [ __ ] misshapen feet and legs must be treated as early as possible what of the most successful methods of coaxing limbs into correct alignment is by the use of caliper splints the metal supports are first welded by a technician working to the prescription of the orthopedic surgeon afterwards the framework is petted to to give maximum Comfort to the wearer the finished article is now fitted to the patient and the straps carefully adjusted to ensure the correct tension and support the first steps are tentative but soon the initial aess will be overcome and with practice the patient will be able to walk with a fair degree of ease this little boy is still at the awkward stage but very soon he will be free of his splints and able to run about like his Playmates starro hospital with its large Orthopedic department and a special unit for the treatment of rheumatism has also a well-appointed physiotherapy Department methods perfected during the war to secure the speediest possible return of Injured Workers to essential jobs are used to the full by highly trained staff remedial exercises too play a great part in strengthening weakened muscles and keeping healthy Senus active during convalescence in the open air when weather permits or in the gymnasium patients take part in games and movements skillfully designed to hasten their recovery the dispensary must not be forgotten in our tour of the hospital here the wards and theaters obtain their medical and surgical supplies and all hospital prescriptions are dispensed by the resident pharmacists most large hospitals have training schools for nurses at TR cathro over 100 students 60% of them women are studying for the state examinations the sister tutor conducts her pupils through the course of the theory and practice of nursing aided by the medical staff who contribute by lectures and demonstrations the students spend 2third of their time in school over periods of approximately 3 months alternating with equal periods of practical work in the wards the sister is giving a revision lesson in anatomy before the state preliminary nursing examination when you are not suffering life is Pleasant at stath especially in the summer when convalescence have the freedom of the ground matron takes a personal interest in your recovery and you're made to feel a personality here not just a case various entertainments such as parties dances games and summer picnics are arranged by the welfare officer film shows are popular events with all who are well enough to walk or be wheeled into the hall for our third and last visit we go to k Hospital situated at the foot of the campi fs here are special units for brain surgery peripheral nerve diseases and Orthopedics by the way note that although these hospitals are all placed well out in the country there are good bus services to make visiting possible occupational therapy is one form of remedial treatment and here you see patients working at various tasks calculated to restore limbs to normal function after injury or paralysis in the workroom weak muscles are strengthened by the movements required for weaving drug making carpentry and similar light occupations the creative interest of these stimulates the mind as well as the body the patient's progress is supervised by staff specially trained in this branch of treatment the laboratory is an essential part of any important hospital here at Kon is a well equipped laboratory where you see the preparation of sections of a piece of tissue for examination under the microscope these back room people are constantly at work making their contribution to diagnosis and treatment by giving the Physicians and surgeons information obtained from highly technical investigations in these days of rationing a big item in a modern hospital is to provide good food well cooked and Tastefully served for patients and staff in the hospitals we have been visiting the catering arrangements are the responsibility of the catering officer a skilled dietitian attends to the special diets prescribed by the doctors for individual patience here is a well-appointed kitchen which can provide meals throughout the day this one supplies over 2,000 meals every day to a strict timetable beginning at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 8:30 in the evening a Night Kitchen staff prepares meals for the night nurses and over 100 special diets are prepared each day here are some on their way to the wards to tempt the pallet of invalids who are being coaxed back to Hills matron and medical superintendent work together to direct the Affairs of the hospital under their immediate control are the nursing staff of whom no particular mention has been made so far although we have seen them going about their duties quietly and cheerfully in every Department at Kar Del house set in beautiful surroundings and three miles from the hospital is used to house the night staff who are conveyed to and fro by bus much consideration is given to the personal comfort of the nursing staff stop meals are served in this dining hall sunny and always full of cheerful talk and laughter in the sitting room nurses can relax in their off duty time sewing reading solving crossword puzzles or just chatting and listening to the radio a [Music] like any woman the nurse appreciates a room set aside for washing and ironing and of course the welcome cup of tea is not forgotten either while Friday night becomes a pleasure under these modern conditions for the nurse who is tired after her day's toil here is a cozy bedroom where she can have privacy and a well-earned sleep this is the background to Kar hospital that valak Mile and stath hospitals are in equally beautiful country settings these three hospitals which you have seen in some detail were run by the department from early in the last war until they were handed over to the regional hospital boards under the National Health Service these hospitals and all our hospitals from the great City infirmaries to the small cottage hospitals are working together to give the people of Scotland the best of skill and attention as a contribution to the physical and mental well-being of the nation [Music]