It is not, I think, commonly understood that while any
hospital in existence before 1948 could be taken over by the National Health Service hospitals founded since 1948 cannot—not at least without fresh legislation. That is what gives the gallant effort being put forth at Kingston-on-Thames its chance. It will be remembered that the old Kingston Victoria Hospital, a general hospital serving a large district and greatly appreciated, was forcibly converted under the National Health Service into a "gynaecological unit" despite the embittered opposition of the management, staff and the doctors attached to the hospital. The fight was carried to the last ditch, and when force majeure triumphed it was determined to cone struct, from voluntary subscriptions, a new and completely inde- pendent general hospital. What chance the Kingston and Malden Victoria Medical Foundation has of raising enough to see its project through I have no knowledge. It has my warm wishes if nothing else (I shall have to consider the something else at length) for, however desirable a National Health Service may be, it is an extremely good thing to have a few good inde- pendent hospitals to measure health services by. Moreover, in this case Kingston does really urgently need a general hospital to replace the one the Health Service has deprived it of.
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