The New Kingston Hospital Sm,—The reference by Janus in A
Spectator's Notebook of May 23rd, to the proposed new hospital for Kingston and Malden was very gratifying to us, because it stresses two important points often over- looked—firstly that it is a fact, incredible though it may seem, that a voluntary hospital founded after July 5th, 1948, cannot be nationalised without fresh legislation; and, secondly, the influence, out of all proportion to the size of the new foundation, that its estab- lishment may have on future developments of the National Health Service.
In our opinion the small local hospital, administered by a committee of the local townspeople who are sensitive to local public opinion, is the best means of keeping the medical services efficierit and alive. At the present time, far from setting up such institutions, there is a marked tendency to abolish them where they already exist. The successful establishment of such a hospital outside, though supple- mentary to, the State service, will do much to confirm the value of institutions of this kind, and may well serve as a model for future similar institutions within the State Medical Service. It is, therefore, with the national implications in mind, as much as from a desire to replace our lost hospital in Kingston, that we commenced last year, and have continued ever since, to collect money to establish the first new medical charity since the National Health Act.—I am, Sir, yours
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