Developments in hospital service.

This article is based on sections of a paper entitled 'The Hospital Service-Today and Tomorrow' and on the introductory address when it was presented on May i9, i960, at the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries. At a very early stage in planning the rebuilding of a hospital or department it is necessary for the staff who work in that hospital-the medical, nursing, technical and administrative staff-to assist the hospital authority to form an appreciation of the future organization and departmental requirements, for it is upon the basis of this ' client's brief' that the architect must apply his skill to the creation of a building suited to the special needs. In making this assessment of the nature and extent of the services to be provided some attention must be paid to the many changes taking place-changes in medical and nursing techniques, general routines and procedures, all of which must have an influence on space allocations, the geographical relationship of departments, and the layout, equipment, and staffing of those departments. At the same time it has to be remembered that what the nation can afford in revenue and capital expenditure may well fall short of an ideal solution, but ideal solutions are often short-lived, and the obligation to seek a compromise that makes the best use of the money available may have its compensations.