Hitchin Hospital: Cmdr. Pinsent’s Appeal at Brotherhood Meeting: “Voluntary Hospital To Be Proud of” Says Duke of York’s Surgeon: The precarious plight of the finances of the North Herts and South Beds Hospital (first revealed in a leading article in the “Express” on October 10) was stressed by Cmdr. Pinsent, the chairman of the Hospital Board, in the course of a brief address at the Hitchin Brotherhood annual Hospital Sunday service at Hitchin Town Hall, on Sunday. The service, which was very well attended, was presided over by Dr. A. H. Foster, chief medical officer of the Hospital, who was supported on the platform by Cmdr. Pinsent, Mr. C. J. Widdows (treasurer of the Hospital), Miss Bell (matron), Sister Roberts, and several nurses in uniform. … … Cmdr. Pinsent, referring to the recent extensions to the Hospital, said that how badly needed these were, was shown by the fact that the two new wards had been full or practically full for the whole twelve months since they were opened by the Duchess of Gloucester in January. That showed that even now the Hospital was not big enough, and the Board were going to appeal, he hoped in the not-too-distant future, for the erection of a maternity ward and a private ward. The members of the Hospital Council were not so much concerned with the capital, however, as with the maintenance. He was not going to reveal the extent of the bank overdraft, but he assured his hearers that the Council were seriously concerned about it and he appealed to everyone to consider the question of an annual subscription so as to keep the Hospital on a voluntary basis. “We, as the Council, do our best but without £.s.d. we should be nowhere,” he concluded.
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Referenced
GRO0157 Devonport: Clive Pinsent: 1886 – 1948