| WINWICK HOSPITAL WARRINGTON | ||
EDITORIAL COMMENTDuring the next two weeks, the hospital will be receiving some rather important visitors. On Monday, the General Nursing Council Inspectors will arrive and they will be followed a week later by the members of the Hospital Advisory Service. team. Which leads one to wonder about official visits in general. Should people concentrate on the positive aspects of their work and how they are doing their best? Or should they discuss the difficulties involved in their jobs, even if this leaves them (and others) open to criticism?Social Therapy ReviewAfter a glowing report, last week, of the football team's progress, I'm sorry to say that both their matches this week were lost. The first, played on Tuesday, against Rainhill, at Winwick, was lost by 8 goals to 2. The second, an important league match against Langho was lost. It is to their credit however, to go down to two excellent teams and for being very sporting about it. On Tuesday afternoon, it was hoped that Rainhill would bring a net-ball team to challenge our ladies but unfortunately they could not manage it. However, some ladies were brought along and we decided that rather than have them freezing on the football field, as spectators, we would arrange for them a social afternoon. However, Male 4 Up ward, kindly allowed us to take them up to the ward to join their regular Tuesday afternoon session. It was interesting to find out that a social is held only one evening per week at Rainhill Hospital. After chatting to many of the lady visitors it became obvious that they would also be pleased to have as many and varied venues to attend and were indeed a little envious of our patients "luck". Meanwhile, preparations are hastily going ahead for the grand variety show, to be performed on Saturday, April 1st, by Social Therapy Department and Friends. It is at last taking shape and promises at the least to be very entertaining. Depending on your sense of humour, of course.K. Appleton.The Cost of Culture?In this day and age, when we hear so much about the preservation and conservation of our all-too-few beauty spots, I have been provoked to comment on how little we notice of that which is going on right under our noses. I am referring to the steady deterioration of our lovely cricket field. What a good thing we have had such a mild winter - I dread to think what would have happened to what we justifiably claim to be one of the prettiest sports fields in Lancashire. Just consider fifty people, four times a day, five days a week, crossing and re-crossing it. Before long yet another beauty spot will have disappeared; to say nothing of the disappointment and frustration of those whose livelihood it is to maintain this creation.J. JolleyP.S. 'He gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together.' Dean Swift. ** ** ** ** ** ** **We have a young girl on F2A who, to quote her, is "leaving on a jet plane". The jet will take her with all our hopes and prayers to Lourdes. Ann has grown taller and slimmer since she became ill, outgrowing all her own clothes. As Ann's parents are under such an emotional strain and have considerable expense to meet, we are trying to lighten their burden as much as we possibly can. She needs sweaters, cardigans, trews and underwear. She takes size womens and is 5' 9`' tall. If anyone has no further use for any of the above articles in good condition, we will be grateful for them. We would like to take the opportunity now of thanking everyone for their advice, assistance and warm sincere wishes.A. Hodkinson pp Sister A. Lee.** ** ** ** ** ** **Art and the SchizophrenicA mentally ill person is profoundly unsure of his relationship to people and things surrounding him. This leads him, and someone suffering from schizophrenia particularly, into a position of isolation from his environment. Indeed he not only becomes withdrawn from his surroundings but also from parts of himself. Painting and sculpture can be of great importance to such a person. This is because their basis is primarily sensual of the body and the feelings and not verbal or conceptual. The intense working with material, involved allows a person experience himself fully in relation to something external to him. I see the Art Therapist's task as creating an interest and curiosity on the part of the patient in the techniques and materials - paint, clay, plaster, wood metal, etc., -- the list is endless. An atmosphere is created involved with imagery and technical processes arising out of the interaction between him and his chosen medium of expression. The painting activity is a link between the patient and the therapist and acts as a communication helping to form a therapeutic relationship. In this way the art therapist is a means of helping a mentally ill person to make contacts with people and objects around him and with areas of himself.B. Naylor.We have had forwarded to us, two letters which have recently been sent to the hospital. The first written on behalf of the sisters of a patient who died recently after 36 years in the hospital, wishes to thank the hospital staff in general and the ward staff in particular. An extract reads, "As the general trend these days would appear to be to criticise mental hospitals and their staffs, they feel it only right that they should express their appreciation of the excellent care and attention that their brother received at Winwick over those many years." The second, written by an ex-patient states,"I still remember the excellent treatment I received whilst a patient and shall always hold the establishment in high regard." Many wards have a file of such letters, but we are sure that occasional wider circulation of the thanks which people wish to express does not come amiss.Publications Committee** ** ** ** ** ** **The monthly practice of the Hospital Fire Brigade was held last Sunday, and is reported to have been well attended.Publications Committee** ** ** ** ** ** **PROFILEIn this issue we talk to E. Aston and J. Bainbridge, Assistant Catering Officers. Q. How did you come to be in Hospital Catering? A. J.B. Well, I originally served my apprenticeship in a large departmental store in Liverpool, but was attracted to the hospital service by the prospects of a better career and a much wider scope to put into practice what I°d been taught. E.A. 14My reasons are pretty similar. I feel that there is a much greater challenge in hospital catering, rather than, say, hotels or industry. Q. I think most people recognise that you have both done a great deal since taking over the Catering department. Can you tell us of your plans for the future? J.B. We are looking for ways to improve the meal service to the wards. At the moment, we are in the process of having card holders fitted to all the meal trolleys. These will contain cards on which will be printed a list of the special diets required for each ward, e.g. 2 diabetic, 4 high protein, etc. This will allow easier checking of the diets by wardmaids when they collect the trolleys from the kitchen. Also, the cards can be used for relaying information directly back to the kitchen, if, for example, too much of one vegetable is being supplied, etc. E.A. Yes, and we would like to go on to giving each ward a choice of menu, and the cards would then indicate the requirements. Q. But surely this would be difficult? E.A. It would with conventional methods, but equipment such as blast freezing units allow a variety of meals to be readily available. Q. How do these work? J.B. Well, the food is first cooked, then frozen very rapidly to -40°C. and stored at -10°C. It can then be reheated as required, either in an ordinary oven, or, if you want it really quickly, in a microwave oven. With developments in hospital catering we may see the day when meals are taken from a central cold storage area and re-heated in microwave ovens in peripheral kitchens serving 3 - 4 wards. E.A. Also, the present hospital kitchens, as we know them, may one day disappear, and be replaced with one central 'factory' kitchen, which will cook and freeze all the meals for hospitals in the group and supply them to the peripheral kitchens in these hospitals, where the only need will be to reheat the dishes. J.B. Blast freezing has similar advantages for staff catering, and meals can even be obtained from vending machines at any time of the day or night. Q. Are you still looking at improvements in the staff dining facilities? E.A. Certainly. Within the next couple of months we hope to have a "called order unit". This is similar to the ones seen in steak bars, and allows rapid preparation of meals such as omelettes, steaks, hamburgers, mixed grill, pancakes, etc. Perhaps we'll have suggestions from staff regarding other items which may be cooked on this 'back bar' unit. J.B. Most staff will have already seen the hotshelf for pies, and pasties in the coffee room. Soon we hope to incorporate a proper coffee bar counter, with a coffee machine. One day we may even have a coca-cola machine - we'd like to see the coffee room as a real rest room, complete with carpets and background music. Q. You certainly seem to be ambitious. Is there anything about which you feel very strongly? J.B. Yes, we feel that many of the old skills of cookery are dying out. We're on the way towards the day when newly-weds have forgotten that chickens come with feathers on! We'd like to start a cookery class for staff one day, and teach the basics of cookery. We also hope that an apprentice cook scheme will be started at Winwick for people entering the hospital catering service. Q. To come back to the present many staff criticise the 'B' diets which are provided for those patients who cannot have ordinary meals. E.A. We're aware of this but it is a difficult problem to solve at the moment. What people do not like is the appearance of the 'B' diet food, but minced beef, lamb or pork, mashed potatoes all look the same, pretty unappetising. We try to vary the dishes, but even if we supplied emulsifiers to every ward, the 'B' diet would still appear unpalatable, The ultimate answer lies along the lines we have described above, that is, a choice of menu for the patients. Q. Is there anything else you would like the staff to know? J.B. Just this, we want to work along with the ward staff in improving the standard of the hospitals. We are conscious that our service isn't 100% perfect, whose is? and are pleased to receive suggestions and criticism, provided these are through the correct channels, that is, the nurse in charge of the ward. Both Mr. Aston and myself visit the wards regularly, and are glad to sit in on any staff meetings to hear staff's ideas on improvements we can make. . Well, I'm sure the hospital is fortunate in having such a forward looking catering department. Thank you.** ** ** ** ** ** **Winwick Hospital Social ClubEntertainments SectionBEAT NIGHT April 6thAppearing Live THE MEMORIESAdmission by ticket only. Tickets available from Members of the above Committee.** ** ** ** ** ** **Response to D. Winship's attempt to begin a slimming club in the hospital has been considerable. There will therefore be a meeting to discuss details of organisation on Thursday, 23rd March, at 7.30 p.m. in the Female Gyn. All would be slimmers are asked to attend.Publications Committee.Further news for those interested in weight reduction, for the following diet sheet has been sent to us:LOW CALORIE REDUCING DIETMonday
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