[Margaret Pilkington]

People are under the impression that bringing back the Matron would fix everything......sadly it doesn't. In the days that Matron was in charge, there was only one of her...and she was like the head of a school. The re-organisation sometime back in the sixties did away with Matron and brought in Nursing Officers....I can never remember whether it was Briggs or Salmon that was responsible for the changes in the hierarchy....but once the Matron had been done away with, that was it. The Government brought in what they laughingly call 'Modern Matrons'...that was about 4 or maybe 5 years ago....hasn't worked then has it?

The hospital tells us that it will all be better when the two sites amalgamate on the 8th of July.......and reason tells me this should be true in respect of the portering service...but as a whole I don't think the situation will improve until the finances are in some sort of order...which may be a long time!