VISITS TO CHILDREN IN HOSPITALS
Sta,—The information on Guy's Hospital given in my original letter was obtained direct from the hospital by telephone last month ; Dr. Evans's correction is, however, most welcome, as it shows clearly that with proper thought and sympathetic consideration it is not difficult to reconcile the needs and interests of all parties. I am perfectly prepared to listen to advice from well-established authorities on any individual child, but that is totally different from being faced with a hard and fast impersonal rule imposed by lesser officials, who obviously have no profound grasp of a very delicate matter, on which they adduce arguments which Dr. Evans shows to be largely false.
The following information received from the Matron of the Hospital for Sick Children at Great Ormond Street brings further expert support for my case: "The usual visiting hours at this hospital are 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Certain patients may be visited each day, also children who are dangerously ill, and always after operations. It is the general opinion of the nursing staff at this hospital that weekly visiting of the children is "an asset of great value to the parent, to the child with few exceptions, and without doubt to the ward sister. We do not feel we have any right to prevent any parent seeing the child, and the upsetting of the children is so momentary that it is not worth consideration. Most parents are perfectly reasonable if appealed to, and will see an unsettled child through screens. The personal contact is invaluable as it halves the responsibility the ward sister feels for the children under her care. No parent ever minds wearing a mask if we think it necessary."—Yours
faithfully, H. G. MONRO DAVIES. Travellers' Club, Pall Mall, S.W.1.
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