EDITORIAL COMMENT

All material submitted to The Standard should be before the Publications Committee by 1.30 p.m. on Monday, when it meets in open session in the Library.

Every member (and within reason, every reader) is thereby enabled to influence the content and growth of The Standard by commenting on the material before him.

Since this system was adopted there have been two occasions when a letter or article has not been immediately approved. In one case subsequent information came to light which (happily) rendered the letter superfluous; and in the other our suggested re-wording, on the grounds that the original invited a sharp, personal rejoinder which might have overshadowed the point at issue, did not 'grab' the writer, and the letter was withdrawn.

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CLUB NEWS

This year, the summer trip arranged for children of members will not take place. Instead, there has been a review of the Christmas arrangements for the children.

Starting next Christmas, the party in the Social Club will be restricted to children up to the age of six. The seven to thirteen year olds will instead go to see a pantomime.

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The Annual General Meeting will take place in the Social Club on Wednesday, July 12th. All members are invited to attend.

W. Hamson

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Netball

On Saturday June, 24th the re-arranged Inter-Hospital Netball Rally was held at Whiston Hospital. The winners once again, and for the fourth year running were Winwick A team, with Birkenhead Hospital runners-up.

In spite of a reduced number of entries, the final game was a thriller, Winwick, from being 5 - 3 down at half-time, fought back hard to finish 7 - 5, once again L.R.H.B. Netball champions. Our thanks to Whiston Hospital. for their kind hospitality, also Warrington H.M.C. for the provision of transport.

J.A. Jolley

Sports News

Cricket

Last Friday evening, the staff cricket team played the semi-final of the Inter-Hospital K.O. competition at Rainhill Hospital against West Cheshire.

In spite of poor weather, and a handicap of 10 runs, Winwick won and now go through to play the winners of Sefton v. Birkenhead. On behalf of both teams I would like to express sincere thanks to Mr. Albert Kennerly for the fine way he umpired the game.

J. A. Jolley

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In reply to the expressed query of the Publications Committee in the Standard, volume 2 no. 2 please let the Committee feel free to enter any contributions from me, poetic or pathetic, in any competition which they consider appropriate, providing that it is first published in the Standard, to which department it was addressed.

I would also be pleased to hear what happened to articles which were "by the grapevine" said to have been censored earlier without explanation to the contributors, to refer to the concerns of the publication management in the Standard of the same issue.

D. E. Wallace.

First of all - what a nice change it was to pick up The Standard this week and find so many pages of news, twelve in all, instead of the usual five. Well done.

Secondly - there has cone to my ears, up and down the hospital, a rumour that this year's Sports Day for the patients is the last one. The rumour continues that Sports Day makes a laughing stock of the female patients.

Since reading Miss Coppack's letter in this week's Standard, I feel that this letter itself quashes all rumours.

J. Mee

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Will you please arrange to insert the following in The Standard:-

The winner of the Ornamental Clock raffled by Unit 5 was Mrs. M. Blyton, Domestic Supervisor.

I would like to express my thanks to all the Unit staff who worked so hard to make our effort a success. Our contribution, donated to the fund for the Swimming Pool, amounted to £20.

M. Callaghan.

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re: Books without Covers -

It was with interest that we read about this pornographic revolution within our midst, and we wondered whether these backless books only revealed themselves by night or whether the high level of morality at Delph has prevented them from reaching us over here.

One could only suggest that fire is met by fire, and a Lord Longford of Winwick be appointed immediately to investigate this disturbing news.

Incidentally, we hear there is no mysterious reason for the lack of lurid covers. It is simply that the firm which generously supplies the books removes the covers to prevent their resale by nefarious persons. We imagine that the difficulties caused by censoring each book prior to its release on wards would make the whole arrangement not worth the trouble, and in consequence rob the patient of the many good books provided.

R. Ingman
J. Taylor

We are informed by Mr. Appleton that these books are given to the Hospital by Boots, the Chemist, who do indeed remove the covers to prevent re-sale.

Publications Committee

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Letters of thanks are never easy and this one in particular is very difficult. I was overwhelmed with the generosity of my retirement gifts. I humbly thank all responsible. I am looking forward to my first efforts with the barbeque and to sampling the books.

I always enjoyed doing what I could at Winwick, but I never felt it amounted to much. It seems I may have achieved more than I thought I did.

I will be calling in to see you all from time to time, as I shall miss you all and I am interested to see how Winwick develops, as develop it must,

Best wishes to you all.

Geoffrey Robinson.

Up and Away

Colour transparencies taken whilst on holiday in New Zealand three years ago, - about an hour's viewing time - are offered for showing to patients or staff. Have projector, will travel.

H. Taberner

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The Art Therapy department is now situated in the male gymnasium, behind the operating theatre. All are welcome. Please 'pop' in and have a look - ideas and suggestions encouraged.

B. Naylor.

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Rice Pudding Again This Week

We are sorry to read of your sad dilemma,
Presented by rice pudding eating.
But - lots of folk for recipe clamour,
With rice and ingredients we try not to be cheating.

On bovines and paddy fields we do not score,
But our telephone number is Two, three and four,
Should we ever stumble and cause you to grumble.
It isn't of course, the cooks who rotate,
But the puddings themselves as in oven they bake.
Could we in humility suggest a cure,
Which might add some zest to help you endure
The patchy solution which you have defined?
Would the medical staff feel ever inclined
To take integration to the final degree
And dine not just with M.D.'s
But with her, him and me?

J.R. Bainbridge.

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Quo Vadis?

Concern about the Department of Health's stated policy of the phasing out of large mental hospitals over the next fifteen years has been expressed by a committee set up by the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Society of Medical Officers of Health.

In "The Mental Health Service After Unification", the committee states that community care is still rudimentary in some local authorities, and the task of providing an adequate service will prove immense. Until alternative services in the community are adequate and efficient, existing hospitals should be sustained in every way.

The committee see the large district general hospital as being ineffective in successfully managing the problem of large numbers of people suffering from personality disorders, such as drug addiction, psychopathy and alcoholism. They would prefer special regional centres to be set up for such people and envisage ten to twelve such units being necessary for aggressive psychopaths.

Opposition to the New Plan

Liverpool Regional Hospital Board's plan to re-organise the city's hospitals and cut the number of beds by 2,000 in twelve years is meeting with opposition, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The reduction in beds is due to the fact that Liverpool has proportionately more hospital beds than any area outside Metropolitan London and a new hospital is scheduled for south Liverpool. However the South Liverpool Hospital Management Committee warn that the present plan will result in patients being deprived of essential services.

At the moment, five hospitals in the centre and south of the city are destined to close between 1972 and 1975. These are the Crofton in Aigburth, the Hahnemann in Hope Street, the Royal Southern, the David Lewis Northern and the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. Several other hospitals may close later.

Reductions will also occur at other hospitals including Sefton General, where acute medical beds are being replaced by geriatric beds.

Officials of the General and Municipal Worker's Union and N.A.L.G.O. are concerned that they are unable to get reassurances concerning the risk of redundancy amongst many of their members, and so far their Unions have not been consulted about the changes.

Representatives of Liverpool G.P.'s, the two trade unions and the South Liverpool H.M.C. Met the Regional Hospital Board to oppose the plans in their present form, in the first consultative meeting on June 20th.

Publications Committee.

"The Power and the Glory" (and the Oppressed, Suppressed and Depressed).

Twenty five million years ago last Friday, man was considered to be just a twinkle in the eye of an effeminate dinosaur. Today, in the age of the commuter and computer, one wonders sometimes why the dinosaurs ever decided to change their shape. Such reflection is prompted by the idea that whilst the evolution through the various skeletal forms and brain developments could be regarded as favourable to improving systems of communication, the high degree of art in communication achieved by man, like most other products of science and physiology, can be used for or give rise to decidedly harmful effects as well as beneficial effects.

This prefaces a scanning analysis of our societies, and their inter-relationships, as, using the observations of psychoanalytic approaches (now "psychological"), whilst twenty five million years ago creatures expressed their aggression and mutual dislike by eating each other up, man, in his superior development, has learned - and devised? - numerous methods of communications and expression to achieve the same result, including at times blowing each other up. It occurs to me that there is a fascinating area for reflection (and action?) in the connections between, and control of the connections between words and deeds, or ideas from which words come - and ideas from which deeds come. Contemplating the problems of societies today - and perhaps. in other days - it would seem that ideas alone or ideas expressed in words alone do not often achieve what most people would like to see them achieve. Hence, presumably, the need felt by our advanced species at times to revert to more primitive dinosaural methods to try to gain control, supremacy or even merely greater comfort.

Inevitably wrapped up in the need for self-expression and group expression, is the concept of rivalries, and probably without such a vector in our relationships there would be no progress, or real aim to succeed. It is sad, I suppose, to think that reversion to more primitive methods has to be necessary to satisfy these basic needs in man. Such behaviour as is seen in various criminal acts may be regarded as more dinosaural than human and perhaps more so in wars and take-over bids. Certain individuals employ more subtle methods of expressing hostility and attempting to succeed, and some groups may reach a high degree of achievements in such methods.

It is interesting to conjecture on the interrelationships between bodies, where apparent paradox can be logically explained in terms of words and actions and reactions. For instance, where ideas and words expressed for sound constructive benefit to all are met with no action at all, what happens in the group making the recommendations in terms of the energy going into the ideas and their being carried out? Frustration and depression are two possibilities, increasing aggression and possibly violence are others. So it seems that lack of reaction can give rise to either frustrated and depressed acceptance, or increased action, aggression or violence. I wonder how many humans there are who can fit happily in between these extremes without being regarded as apathetic.

No doubt as there were weaker and stronger dinosaurs, or some with more spines or longer tongues than others, so in human terms, there are varying abilities, aptitudes, and powers of expressing ideas. Thus for an attempt at forming a mutually satisfactory society the dinosaurs tended to do this electing by tooth and nail, we would prefer to think that we humans are more selective in seeking aptitudes and abilities in our leaders. Yet what, in fact, are the qualities required in and expected of, a leader or leadership? Is leadership indeed a matter of control, or decision-making guidance or, as has been known to be the case, sheer authority? An impression which I have is that if a body of people can define what they look for in a leader of a body of leadership, then the more the leading body can fit into those requirements, and are allowed to do so by their leaders, the more likely will mutual achievement be.

Perhaps I should point out that I have studied neither Communism nor transcendental meditation, but am making an attempt to look at a human situation in psychological and social terms in order to prompt further communication preferably of a constructive kind. Quality and accuracy of communication is all-important in smooth running and avoidance of intolerance and frustration, and may be a special aptitude in this sphere of communication is an important quality for sound leadership. It would be fascinating to review, for example, our inter-relationships in our hospital in such terms as these.

D. E. Wallace

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Swimming Pool Fund

I would like to thank all the Nursing Officers and staff for their efforts on Sports Day in raising the sum of £295.98 for the above fund-:

	£
Unit 1	21.04
Unit 2	28.17
Unit 3	23.43
Unit 4	30.00
Unit 5	20.00
Unit 6	12.00
Unit 7	57.55
Unit 8	21.90
Unit 9	66.64
Unit 10	18.25
Clerical Office	21.00
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	319.98

 

I would also like to thank Mr. M.Barr, and members of the entertainments section of the Social Club, for their generous contribution of £50 to the fund.

The total amount now stands at £716.22. I hope the powers that be will note the effort being made for the above fund, and endeavour to get this project off the ground. Once again my thanks to all concerned for a grand effort.

A.S. Kennerly.

Missing from X-Ray Department

One wheel chair, clearly marked X-RAY, in excellent condition. Last seen when lent to transport out-patient from Physiotherapy Department to ambulance on Friday, 16th June, 1972.

Quick recovery will earn eternal gratitude of entire X-Ray staff.

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Mr. Wright, D.C.M.N., Sister Rubotham and Charge Nurse L. Bayliss attended a conference on coping with Violence at the Department of Physics at the University College of North Wales, Bangor.

Mrs. Callaghan, Assistant Matron is leaving us this week to live in Southport and hopes to be able to devote more time to her family. Mrs. Callaghan has been with us since 1965 and was promoted Assistant Matron in 1968. We hope to see Mrs. Callaghan visiting the hospital on social occasions in the future.

Our best wishes go to Mr. J. Stringer, Deputy Charge Nurse, who is retiring after more than 35 years service. We are pleased however, that Mr. Stringer will be able to undertake some part-time nursing with us.

Welcome to:

Mrs. J. Hardman N/A
Mrs. J. Turton N/A
Mr. Bruinall - Temporary Holiday Employment.

Farewell to:

Student Nurse M. Windle
Cadet K. Jones.

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