Minutes of patients' government meetings - Enfield Hospital (GRS/16027)

This series contains a minute book from the Patients' Government Meetings at Enfield Hospital.

Patients' Government was made up of patient representatives from each ward, although some wards appear not to have sent representatives. Meetings were held in the nature of a business meeting, with a chairman and a secretary and formal minutes taken. The aims of the Meeting were to:

- give all patients an opportunity to suggest social activities, improvements, amenities and in-patient life.

- organise committees such as sporting, social and welcoming committees.

- voice and record in the minutes any complaint or suggestions made regarding any matters affecting inpatient life.

The minutes were forwarded to the Supervisor's Office for comment.

The minute book includes the minutes taken by the Patients' Government and the replies from staff members. The Patients' Government minutes are signed by the Secretary (minute-taker) and the Chairman. The staff member replies are signed by the staff member and their position title is normally noted.

Subjects covered by the Patients' Government include requests (visits from hairdressers or barbers, repairs, swimming lessons, fencing around the hospital's 'zoo') and complaints (quality of food, water temperature, cigarettes and smoking areas). Some comments are about particular patients who the meeting's patients wanted staff members to deal with, especially regarding bad behaviour or language. The books also include flyers or leaflets distributed in the hospital, including the Enfield Hospital Auxiliary Open Day,

Patients' names are recorded throughout, particularly if they were a Chairman or a Secretary, or if they had a particular complaint they wished to raise with staff.

Patients' Government meetings were held on Mondays, while a separate meeting involving patients and staff was held on Tuesdays. In 1977, these two combined and minutes from the combined meeting can be found in GRS 16028.

Arranged chronologically.