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EDITORIAL COMMENTIt is pleasing to note that there has been such a response to the plea for staff involvement in the publication of The Standard. We hope this will continue .... for the word 'communicate' has a wide and pleasing meaning -
to give a share of * * * * * * * * *Social Therapy Department ReviewVictory yet again for our Net-ball and football teams. This week's matches played against Lancaster Moor Hospital, at home and Mary Dendy Hospital, away, respectively, show the increasing ability of our teams. As I said, both team won, the former by 27 goals to 16 and the latter by 4 goals to 1. Let's hope that these early victories will mean a successful season and who knows, perhaps even a trophy apiece! Highlight of the week's sporting activities must surely have been the soccer match played on Friday afternoon, between the P.T.S. Students team and the patients team. The match was a well fought battle resulting in yet another win for the patients. The score was 7 - 3 proving that to beat our lads is no mean feat. Let us hope that more events of this kind will be organised by the P.T.S. students. It helps knock down that 'them' and 'us' image which in spite of everything still exists to a certain extent. Tuesday evening saw the second of the 'League of Friends' dances. These are proving ever popular and it seems to me that soon we will not have enough room to support the vast numbers of guests. Still, the Recreation Hall will be ready soon and our problem will have disappeared. The hot-pot supper, organised by the staff and ladies of Female 2 Up, was an unqualified success. Approximately three hundred ticket holders and guests filled the gym to overflowing on Thursday and to quote another time worn but apt cliché, a good time was had by all. The flower arranging started on Tuesday afternoons is proving itself every week. Initially, all staff, Mrs. Farrimond, in particular, took a great interest in showing how it should be done. We have progressed from this in so far as that the ladies who attend this afternoons activity have become sufficiently interested as to try it for themselves. Their efforts have brought much pleasure to fellow patients and staff alike. There is a need, however, for containers. So, if you have any that you don't need please send them along to us in the department.K. Appleton***************************On Monday, 1st November, Female 1 Downheld a Birthday party for three of their patients. The party was a success (and duly recorded by the 0 and M Team!), and the staff and patients wish to thank everyone in Female 9 Up for the delicious Birthday Cake which they so generously baked and gave to the ward. CLUB NEWSOn Sunday, 31st October, the football team played Newton's Royal F.C., winning 3-2. This season the team have played seven matches in the Warrington Sunday League, Division 2, winning 3, drawing 1, and losing 3. They have also played 2 cup matches, one is for the J. White Trophy, and the other the President's Cup, and the team is through to the second round of both. The next match will be played at the hospital on Sunday, 7th November , kick-off at 11.00 a.m., and the game is the second round of the President's Cup, Winwick v. Bay Horse Rovers. Anyone interested in joining the team, contact Les Smith, Frank O'Driscoll or Len Jones.DARTS AND DOMINOESLast Friday, playing the `General Elliot', our teams went down, losing 4-3 at Darts and 4-1 at Dominoes. This weeks' fixture. is a home game against 'Red Lion', on Friday, November, 5th.SNOOKEROn Thursday, 28th October the 'B' team won 7-1 at home against Greenall-Whitley. Whilst the 'A' team made an away draw against Latchford Conservatives.For Fear of "Gate-Crashers" the doors were LockedDuring the night of 31st October - 1st November, 1970, 142 people, mostly youngsters, were trapped and killed in a dance hall fire at Saint Laurent-du-Pont in France. Four others died shortly afterwards in hospital, bringing the death toll to 146. These people died because the fire spread so rapidly and because they were unable to escape quickly from the building. The Dance Hall was a large single storey, rectangular building measuring approximately 80 ft by 60 ft. Above the dance hall section was a Semi-circular balcony. Altogether the hall could accommodate about 600 people. The entrance to the hall was by means of a turnstile, and the exit was another turnstile near it. There were four other exits, these fitted with proper doors opening outwards. However, for fear of "Gate-Crashers" who might try to get in without paying all these exit doors were LOCKED. At 1.30 in the morning of the 1st November, between 160 and 170 people were dancing or listening to the music. Five minutes later a young girl who was leaving the balcony to go down to the dance floor saw a chair catch fire, possibly from a match or a cigarette. A waiter tried to smother the flames with what he found to hand - a coat. When she reached the dance floor none of the people around her seemed to realise the danger that they were in. Suddenly the place was transformed into a furnace.. Burning drops of plastic fell like rain from the ceiling. There was immediate panic in spite of the efforts of the band who went on playing. The lights had gone out, the majority of people rushed towards the turnstiles, the only exit doors known to most of them. A barman succeeded in opening one of the locked exits but the smoke and uproar was such that only five men escaped with him. Several people managed to escape through the entrance turnstile, some went back to assist the others to escape. None of these returned to safety. Inside, the young people hurled themselves at the locked exits - in vain. Less than five minutes after the beginning of the fire the cries from within had ceased.* * * * * * * * *NURSING NEWSAs promised in an earlier edition of The Standard here is some more nursing news. In-service training for nursing assistants already in post has been underway for a week. We realise of course, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but we hope that by the end of the training period in January, some things may be more clear and that you will have a greater understanding of what psychiatric nursing is about. In conjunction with this, an induction course for nursing assistants joining the service, and this includes pre-students and prepupil nurses, is also in progress. This has taken the form of spending one week in each of the following wards F.1 D, F.6 Up, M & F Upper Delph, and M & F Infirmary, where they will be instructed in the basic principles and attitudes of psychiatric nursing. Both these training programmes are conducted by Sister I. Hankey under the guidance of Mr. W. Morris. We are indebted to the sisters and charge nurses of the wards concerned who are taking on so much extra work, but we hope they will reap the benefits in the future. For some time now In-service training for nursing assistants on night duty has been carried out by Sister N. Blackburn. This is perhaps even more important on Night Duty than day duty because it is more difficult to keep abreast of current trends. This work is extra to sisters other duties and she is to be commended for her efforts and her interest in this matter. Following the recommendation of the Hospital Advisory Service, the H.M.C. invited an Organisation and Methods Team to study the non-nursing duties carried out by the nursing staff. Some wards have had members of the tear for a full week while others have them for one day only. They are also spending some time on night duty. We are very happy with the way this is progressing and the team are very pleased with the way the staff are co-operating with them. Miss N. Coppack, our Head of Nursing Services, is away on a two month course, I with the help of Mr. J. E. Wright and the support of the nursing officers am trying to hold the fort until her return.M. Downey*************************THANK YOU, AGAIN, TO THE LEAGUE OF FRIENDSWithin two weeks of the subject being raised at a ward meeting, 36 out of the 40 patients on ward M. 7 Down were able to visit Knowsley Safari Park on Wednesday, October 27th. For many of the patients, this was on outing they would otherwise not have had, and Mr. E. Critchley and the staff wish to express their appreciation to Mr. Vardy and the League of Friends.*************************
No matter where you are, Joan Lock. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:On behalf of the ladies from F.2 Up, I would like to express grateful thanks to everyone who made the occasion such a wonderful success, especially to Hollins House Staff, Mr. Jolley, Mrs. Devine and their staff, to the voluntary helpers, catering staff and to the staff who willingly worked overtime so that the function could go on after normal working hours. In spite of the most enjoyable evening we had a few disappointments. Firstly that we sent out 16 invitations to various members of the hospital "dignitary" and yet everyone either had a previous engagement or did not even bother to reply so that we had to press on without our "guests of honour" whom we had hoped would spend our social evening with us. Secondly, many of the patients had to leave by 8.30 when the dance was in full swing because arrangements had not been made at ward level for the patients to stay later even though we advertised until 9.30. Is it not possible that in future, staff could be asked to volunteer for extra duty and given the time back at a later date to accommodate the "occasional" occasion. Again many thanks to everyone concerned who helped to make "our evening" possible.Ladies from F. 2 UpSpace conscious, may I ask: WHY NOT publish, as two-page supplements, those articles, by definition few in number, which cover matter requiring extended treatment? WHEN will The Standard's cover design (Vol. 1, No. 2, Ed. comment - 'Excellent') be ready? WHAT + is the 'comparatively simple objective' referred to in last week's Editorial Comment?Roger BrutonPeople say that time travels fast but who could believe that it is almost three months, since fifteen youths embarked upon the beginning of a career. I remember well, being ushered into an office and filling in numerous forms, all of which seemed to ask the same questions. Although total strangers we all shared one thing, the look of anticipation trying to guess at what lay ahead. One by one difficulties are being combated, no longer do the corridors appear as a mixed up maze, and the aching feet have grown accustomed to their constant use. Many other little things would not have been overcome without the help of the staff on our first departments, on behalf of us all I would like to thank you and say that I am sure that we shall enjoy our stay with other departments as much as with the first.A. G. Clare Cadet NurseNearing the end of our six weeks on O.T. we would like to draw attention to the reception we have received whilst on the department, it has been both friendly and helpful at all times, and patience has been shown in abundance. The idea of putting the pavilion for the use of O.T. is certainly a marvellous one. We were "in" more or less at the beginning and the improvements made to it are really great. It is already in very pleasant surroundings, the windows overlooking the lawns and cricket field, together with the efficient heating and lighting, hot and cold water supply which all adds to the environment, what more could patients or staff wish for, to work in? There is one fault, if you can call it that, there is not enough room to accommodate any more patients, other than the 80 who already attend. The enjoyment gained by these patients has to be seen to be believed, it certainly gives them a feeling of being needed, and they are really trying to be capable in whatsoever they decide to do whether it be carpentry, basket work, etc. It seems a pity that a large room cannot be found to start yet another therapy centre, to accommodate 80 or so more patients, who we feel sure would benefit from it. We may add that even on foggy and rainy mornings, the patients eagerly await collection to go to therapy, this in itself is proof that the pleasure gained by them is immense. We must not forget to thank Mr. Dutch and all his staff, for the kindness and friendliness, shown to us while we have been on the Department, it could not have been better, and to praise the staff for the patience and kindness shown to the patients.J. C. Burt
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Wheel for Vespa Scooter, very cheap. *************************This week, the Nursing Staff Sub-Committee re-commenced their meetings to discuss the introduction of a new shift system. With the 40 hour week for nursing staff due to be implemented in two months time, the Committee have quite a task. !! Reply to censorship charges? H.M. Circulars received:-?*************************
WELCOME TO: FAREWELL TO: Miss B.D. Grady Student Congratulations on Promotion To:-
M. Bart ************************* |