The Little Blue Book

In 1974 the new Royal Free Hospital took its first patient, a taxi driver. However, the building was not officially opened until 1978 by Queen Elizabeth II. In the run up to the 'unofficial' opening, a plea was made to staff via the Royal Free Hospital Journal to not dispose of old hospital archival material. The plea was made whilst the hospital was in the midst of a move from Grays Inn Road to its current location of Pond Street, Hampstead. 

How much material was discarded before or during the move we don't know but, presumably, some was. Some important documents relating to the events of 1955 survived but, at the risk of sounding like the late Donald Rumsfeld, there are known knowns, known unknowns, unknown unknowns about the archives etc, etc.

Perhaps one of the more detailed archival findings came from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital. It turned out that at least the EGA kept a 'log book' (of sorts), cataloging the names of sick nurses, when they fell ill, how long they were off work, where they went to convalesce and so on.

Of course a number of the staff went on to have persistent or recurring problems. Ward maid Piera Torresini "left to take a lighter post" in November 1956 due to the return of her paralysis. Nurse Humphriss had more than one significant period off work until at least July 1957. Nurse Norrington returned to full-time duty on 7th September 1956.

The EGA Committee meeting notes for 18th September 1958 records:

“Chief Pharmacist. The committee learned with regret that Miss Plear had been on further sick leave since 21st August, and she felt it was no longer possible to continue the work of a Chief Pharmacist. As her ill health was due to the virus infection contracted at the Hospital three years ago, the Committee hoped that the Board would do their utmost to ensure that she received adequate compensation.”

The following year Miss Fox, the nursery nurse, went part-time before returning to sick leave.

Staff Nurse Brown wasn’t quite so ‘lucky’ as Plear. Brown had her “employment terminated” on the 31st July 1957.