COSTS
For the first 100 years of the hospital’s existence, until 1948, when the National Health Service was born, it was managed almost as a private institution by what was known as a Committee of Visitors which was comprised of representatives of the five counties Denbigh, Flint, Anglesey, Caernarvon and Meirioneth, and a group who represented those who had subscribed to the building of the hospital. Although it was predominantly for the treatment of pauper patients it also took a limited number of private patients to boost the income as the viability of the hospital was dependent on the number of patients they admitted.
Each of the counties was allowed a quota of patients according to their population and they were expected to pay the agreed weekly sum for each patient. If they exceeded their quota they would have to pay at a higher rate for each extra patient. The hospital also took in patients from outside the five counties when they had spare capacity and these were also charged at a higher rate.
When it first opened the committee described the different classes of patients as follows (the numbers 12, 20 and 168 denote the number of patients accepted under each category
Classes –
First (12) “Shall consist of such persons not exceeding 6 Male and 6 Female whose habits and means may require the comforts resembling those provided in a gentleman’s family. These shall be admitted from time to time at the discretion of the House Committee assisted by the MO’s at prices adapted to their situations in life and in proportion to the accommodation and treatment required”
Second (20) “Shall comprise as may be above the class of parochial patients. Priority given to those connected by birth or residence to
Third/parochial (168) “admitted from parochial unions of any of united counties. When full, arrangements to apportion vacancies according to contributions from each county”
When the hospital first opened the charge for parochial patients was 9/- (45pence) per week and between 12/10 (64 pence) and 14/- (70 pence) for out of county patients and from 12/6 (62 pence) for second class up to £5 – 5/- for first class.
By 1948 the charge had risen to 35/- (£1 – 75p) for parochial and interestingly had reduced to £4 – 4/- for private. 41 private patients were still resident when the NHS took over and presumably converted to NHS status.
The private patients were given more and better quality food and a better standard of accommodation and the ratio of attendants to patients was much better than for the pauper patients.
After the World Wars patients who had served in the forces were treated as private patients and paid for by the government.
After 1948 no private patients were treated at the hospital but the service patients continued to get extra comforts for many years.
Apart from patients, the counties also had a quota of staff from their areas which is why Denbigh is now such a cosmopolitan town and many people who think their family originated in Denbigh would find on looking back that their ancestors came from other parts of