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CHAPTER 2
including those suffering from spina bifida. Moreover, facilities for sport and recreation
were greatly improved by the building of a recreation hall, where training in indoor
archery and table tennis could be carried out. Moreover, the building of a large indoor
swimming pool, as well as the allocation of a large field of n acres for sports competitions,
proved very important additions to the facilities for the work of the Centre. Recently, an
intensive care unit for acute injuries, especially tetraplegics, has been constructed as
part of the Centre.
The medical staff of the Centre consists of a clinical director (after my retirement
in 1966, Dr JJ.Walsh was appointed), 3 consultants, a clinical assistant, a senior registrar
and 4 junior grades, dealing with all aspects of spinal paraplegia and tetraplegia. The
Centre has its own secretarial staff, records department and 2 welfare officers. Fig. 4
shows the lay-out of Stoke Mandeville Hospital with its National Spinal Injuries Centre
which represents the largest department of this General Hospital.
AUXILIARY UNITS
In addition to the 195 patients who receive their comprehensive clinical treatment and
social re-adjustment at the Centre, a Hostel in the proximity of the Centre was built
in 1965 and opened in 1966 for those tetraplegics and other severely handicapped spinal
cord sufferers who for one reason or another could not be accommodated in their own
homes and for those who lived at home but whose families were no longer able to con–
tinue to care for them. This Hostel has a complement of 30 beds and is divided into
single, 2 bedded and 4 bedded rooms and represents a pilot scheme for the whole country
(Fig. 53 and b). It is hoped that more of these hostels will be built in the vicinity of
spinal units in other parts of the United Kingdom where such cases can be accommodated.
A workshop is connected with the Hostel which enables the residents to carry out some
remunerative work under sheltered conditions. Moreover, the residents also take part
in the sports activities of the Centre.
In addition to the 225 paraplegics and tetraplegics at the Centre and its Hostel,
there are several auxiliary units affiliated to and medically guided by the N.S.I.C.:
1
Spinal Unit at the Star and Garter Home for Ex-servicemen, Richmond, Surrey,
set up in 1946 with 24 beds. This unit is, of course, run on the modern management of
paraplegics and tetraplegics which is vastly different from that described by Gowland
in 1934-41. Drugs such as morphia and hyoscine mentioned by Gowland have been
completely discarded and the Unit is run on Stoke Mandeville principles.
2 Chaseley Home, Eastbourne, also for paralysed ex-servicemen, started in 1946 with
40 beds. Some of the residents are employed outside the hostel, others are working in the
sheltered workshop of the Home.
3 Duchess of Gloucester House, Isleworth, Middlesex. This is a Hostel with 78 beds
(72 male and 6 female) which was specifically built for paraplegics and opened in 1949
by the former Ministry of Pensions. It is under the administration of the Ministry of
Labour and Social Security and only those paraplegics are admitted who are able and
willing to take up full time employment outside the Hostel in open industry.
4 Settlement for paraplegic ex-servicemen Lyme Green, Macclesfield in Cheshire,
