On "Memo. by Dr. Bridges" London Oct 18/73
The cases put are:
1. The Medical Officer is always there:
he is an educated man: and in many cases
the most able man of the set
Ergo make him supreme
2. The Governer/Master is always there: but he is not
necessarily a man of dufficient power or education
Ergo he cannot always be trusted with supreme
jurisdiction
3. The Committees are difficult to get together; and
in some cases cannot exercise supreme control.
[This is not however the cases at Highgate (Central London Sick Asylum Board)
and there are first rate men on the Committee or Board.]
Ergo they cannot be trusted.
Conclusion: that Matron & her Nurses must
virtually be under the Medical Officer:
an experiment which has been tried since Hospitals
began & has always ended ill, either for the
moral or the efficient element.
A Medical Officer has quite other things to do
than to be head of the Nurses -
A man can never govern women -
- No good ever came of Medical Officer doing Matron's duty.
- And even the efficient treatment of sick is thereby sacrificed.