MOTORISTS AND OUR HOSPITALS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] hope that you will allow your columns to be the media for the ventilation of the very serious position in which the hospitals are being placed to-day by the increasing number of motor accidents ; every week-end nearly every hospital in the country is called upon to use emergency beds for the reception of motor accident cases. The result of this is that local supporters of the hospitals on waiting admission lists are kept longer out of beds than they otherwise would be. Last year in our hospital 167 motor accident cases were treated at a net cost to this hospital of £894 14s. 6d. ; and the only sum received that could be put against this amount was £11016s. 9d. I feel quite sure that the motorists as a body appreciate their indebtedness to hospitals, but, for some unknown reason, they leave the hospitals to carry the burden of their maintenance. I should like to suggest as a possible remedy that the driving licence be increased by a small sum, say 5s. ; this amount could be placed by the Government at the disposal of the British Hospitals Association and distributed by them to the hospitals throughout the country according to the number of cases each hospital treated. I think that this would meet the expense and also provide something towards the provision of the necessary additional beds.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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