Contents -

Union News
Shop Talk
League of Friends
A Look Back at Nursing
Letters to the Editors
Technical Nursing Library.

UNION NEWS - C.O.H.S.E.

Nurses and Midwives Pay Award

At a meeting of the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council on 22nd January, the Staff Side gave formal notice of their pay claim which was an up-dating of the claim which they submitted last year.

After discussion, agreement was reached on increased pay for Nurses and Midwives within the basic pay limits provided for in Stage III of the Pay Code. The general effect of this agreement will be to increase pay up to and including £1,671 per annum by £117, and over £1,671 by 7%. The agreement which is subject to Pay Board approval will operate from 1st April, 1974.

Discussions will be continued on other matters within the context of Stage III of the Pay Code.

B. McAuley
Branch Secretary.

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SHOP TALK

This week (at the time of writing) an "Art of Examining" Refresher Course is being held in the Nurse Teaching Department.

The course is convened by Mr. W. Morris, Principal Tutor, and the speakers are Mr. J.R. Caley, Principal Nursing Officer (Education) Warrington and District School of Nursing; Mrs. S. Barr; Mr. E. Critchley; Mr. T.N. Hughes; Mr. W. Morris; Mr. W. Templeton and Mrs. W. Terry of Winwick Hospital; Mrs. I. Matthews, Principal Nursing Officer (Service) Whittingham Hospital and Miss A.J. Seaton of the General Nursing Council.

Twenty-two Ward Sisters and Charge Nurses from Winwick have been invited to participate in the course which will be held on Thursday and Friday, 7th & 8th February.

Open Day and Gala 1974

Preparations for the Gala Day 1974 are now well in hand. The date has been selected and this will be 15th June 1974.

Various ideas have been put forward and of these the following have been proposed:

Donkey Derby
Vintage Cars
Steam Organ
Army Display
Navy Display
A record request service

More interesting and varied ideas are being talked over, and we hope that with the co-operation of all concerned the success of this venture will outshine last year's efforts. We hope to have programmes on sale and free car stickers very shortly.

R. French
Hospital Secretary.

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Rehabilitation - Better late than never

Recent developments at the Delph Rehabilitation Unit have included the setting up of a new series of education classes as part of the overall rehabilitation programme, These classes are new and potentially very important in that they involve, in addition to our Assistant Education Officer, instructors from Newton-le-Willows College of Further Education, People are now receiving tuition at ward level, and recently a small group has started travelling to the College on a day-release basis for their instruction. Our rehabilitees appear to have made a very good start with instructions in basic reading and writing, typing and cookery classes. The enthusiasm with which the hospital and College staff have involved themselves in this venture is reflected in the obvious progress our rehabilitees have made, and their equally obvious keenness. Better late than never.

June Bate
Joe Jolley

Stepping Stones Club

Both the Club Management Committee and the Executive Committee of the Warrington & District Association for Mental Health have agreed in principle to affiliate.

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Occupational Therapy Project

Have Y O U any photographs we may B O R R O W recording events, persons and buildings of the past 50 years history of this hospital.

R I N G 332 or contact MR. DUTCH, O. T. DEPT.

Thank you

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LEAGUE OF FRIENDS OF WINWICK HOSPITAL

Sale of Christmas Cards etc.
1973

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT

RECEIPTS			PAYMENTS
	£			£
750 orders	1334.62		Cards etc. from Webb Ivory Ltd.	1025.91
Patients Cards etc. for L.O.F.	27.56		100 Brochures at 3p	3.00
Donations	1.85		Postage	0.55
	________		Receipt Book	0.17
			TOTAL	1029.63
			PROFIT	334.40
	1364.03			1364.03

Edna Thomasson

Audited by Mr. E. Corker

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The payment of £1025.91 qualifies for a further bonus of 5% on this amount payable in May.

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I would like to take this opportunity of thanking EVERYONE who participated in the above effort to make it such a success and so enable us to provide a little extra job to the friendless patients.

Edna Thomasson, L.O.F.

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A LOOK BACK AT NURSING

Nurses and their conditions at the turn of the century.

The life of a mental nurse or attendant from the early 1900's and for sometime onwards, was certainly not an easy one, And yet it must have had certain inducements and advantages, as a small advertisement in the local paper to replace one member of the ward staff resulted in an average of fifty or sixty applicants. It is a fact that any attendant or nurse who for any cause has given up his job of caring for the mentally ill, almost always wants to return to it. (This last factor is very true in present day psychiatric nursing). In those days the hours of duty were from 6.00a.m. to 8.00p.m. with ½ hour off for meals.

The average leave of absence for nurses/attendants (each hospital had its own rules) was one whole day once in three or four weeks; one Sunday once in four or five weeks and ten days annual leave. A report by the Commissioners in Lunacy at that time stated that the duties are trying and responsible. More relaxation is, perhaps, absolutely essential and some means should be found by the employing authority to give more time off where the staff can leave the asylum behind them and refresh the mind by reasonable amusement.

The average wage in those days for Senior Charge Nurses/Attendants was £45 per annum, plus a cottage and a garden; For junior staff, who had to be resident in the hospital, the average wage was about £15 per annum including a furnished room situated on a ward of the hospital and full board and washing!

J. E. Wright

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LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Domestic Superintendent's Office, Winwick.

May I through the auspices of the "STANDARD" express my gracious thanks to all those wonderful people in Winwick Hospital and Warrington General Hospital (including several patients from Winwick Hospital) who visited me, made enquiries by telephone, sent verbal messages and "Get Well" cards, during my recent illness; not forgetting the wonderful card from the O.T. Staff. It is difficult to put into words what a tonic I received from this, better than doctors medicines and pills.

One hears so many moans and groans around Winwick Hospital, but it is amazing the feeling and comradeship that is shown by everyone towards a colleague at a time of illness, grief or trouble of any nature.

So a BIG THANKS to everyone.

J.H. Bartholomew.

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Dear Sir,

I am sure that the therapeutic value of the Cultural Centre is widely appreciated within the hospital. However, as many of the patients who attend are aged and require assistance, surely it is necessary to provide a path across the grass. When it is raining the ladies get their feet soaking wet, and there is the risk of someone slipping and falling. Also, is it correct to assume that sometimes in adverse weather conditions, patients are required to attend just to make up the numbers?

Yours sincerely,
B. Marsh.

(Editor's comment: - "Grass", "GRASS".)

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TECHNICAL NURSING LIBRARY

New books available on loan:

"Policy for Action"	- Cawley & McLaghlan.
"An Outline of Basic Nursing Care"	- Welsh, Gillespie & Asher.
"Behaviour Therapy in Mental Disorders"	- J.C.M. Wilkinson.
"Frontiers of Medicine"	- C.W.H. Harvard.
"Handbook of Psychiatry"	- L, Minski.
"Psychological Medicine for Students"	- J. Pollitt.
"Principles of Nursing"	- N. Roper.
"The Human Body"	- Lewis & Rubenstein.

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