the history of westfield health through the war years 1939 … · through the war years 1939-1945 1...

THE HISTORY OFWESTFIELD HEALTH THROUGH THE WAR YEARS 1939-1945LOUISE PEARSON

9 780901 100801

ISBN 978-0-901100-80-1

J29613_Westfield Cover 30/6/09 15:22

THE HISTORY OFWESTFIELD HEALTH

THROUGH THE WAR YEARS 1939-1945

Louise Pearson

2009

J29613_Westfield Book 30/6/09 15:17 Page 1

CONTENTS

Prologue Page 1

Westfield – How We Began

Penny in the Pound Scheme Page 4

Hospital Contributory Schemes Page 6

Publicity Campaign Page 7

Westfield Health 1939-1945 Page 8

New Firms and Offices 1939-1945 Page 34

The National Health Service Page 36

Hospitals 1939-1945 Page 40

Million Pound Appeal Fund Page 50

Westfield Services Page 51

Key Westfield Figures 1939-1945 Page 60

Sheffield at War – The Sheffield Blitz Page 63

Westfield Health – Timeline Page 67

References/Bibliography Page 74



1

PROLOGUE

Founded in 1919, Westfield started life as the SheffieldConsultative and Advisory Hospitals Council. It was formed to lookat ways of helping the city’s four self financing hospitals, TheRoyal, The Royal Infirmary, The Children’s and Jessop Hospital forWomen. All of which were desperately short of money after theFirst World War. In 1921 the Penny in the Pound Scheme waslaunched, to provide workpeople with free hospital treatment inreturn for a weekly contribution of a penny in each pound earned.

Evolving and growing over the years into Westfield Health, we havebecome one of the most successful and secure health insurers inthe UK with almost 90 years’ experience and over a third of amillion policyholders throughout the UK now enjoying cover withus. Today, it is regarded as one of the leading UK health insuranceproviders.

This book traces the history of Westfield highlighting on the SecondWorld War years, 1939 – 1945, investigating how the schemeoriginated, how it operated during the war, how the Scheme hasgrown and expanded over the years, how Westfield managed tocontinue its service during the war, how the city of Sheffield wasaffected by the war and how Westfield unlike many othercontributory schemes continued to operate after the birth of theNational Health Service in 1948.


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The Sheffield Hospitals Council was officiallyconstituted on 3rd July 1919 to meet a serioussituation which had arisen in the city’s VoluntaryHospitals. Following the First World War the fourhospitals; The Royal, The Royal Infirmary, TheChildren’s and Jessop Hospital for Women were all facing mounting annual deficits. There was a serious shortage of accommodation and noprospect of modernising, enlarging and re-equipping the buildings.

Something had to be done – the honorary medicalstaff at the hospitals suggested that a Joint Councilshould be formed, principally to tackle the financialdifficulties after the First World War. They put theirviews into writing, produced a document to presentto members of the Board and asked that a JointCouncil should be set up. On 30th July, 1919, theorganisation known first as the SheffieldConsultative and Advisory Hospitals Council, waslaunched. The title was later shortened to SheffieldHospitals Council. The Council decided toconcentrate on two objectives – to put the financesof the hospitals on a sound basis and to make thepeople of Sheffield, hospital health conscious.

But it wasn’t until businessman Fred Osborn, amember of the Council, stood up at a meeting on9th April, 1920, and suggested a “Penny in thePound Scheme” that the Council’s efforts reallystarted to pay off. The idea was ingenious. For everypound of their pay, employees would contribute apenny in return for free hospital treatment and theiremployers would contribute a third of any moneyraised. The Joint Council and the Boards of the fourhospitals unanimously approved the Scheme.

The “Penny in the Pound” Scheme was introducedin April 1921, exactly a year after it had beenproposed and was an immediate success. TheScheme quickly caught the imagination of the city’sbiggest firms, trade unions and principal employersassociations. In the first six years of its existence,more than half a million pounds was raised.

Sir Henry Hadow, Vice Chancellor of SheffieldUniversity, was elected Chairman, a position hefilled with efficiency and distinction for 11 years.

He later retired from Chairmanship of the Councilin 1930 and was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. Dr. HedlyBurrows, Bishop of Sheffield. Rt. Rev. Dr. LeslieStannard Hunter succeeded the latter in 1939.Hunter guided the Council through the war years toits establishment on the new basis made necessaryby the introduction of the National Health Service on5th July 1948.

The Scheme was a great success and from 1921until 1948 raised nearly five million pounds for localVoluntary Hospitals, helping to put their finances ona sound basis. The Scheme was one of the largestand most successful in the country and it hasadapted and grown to become Westfield Health. Thename Westfield Contributory Health Scheme wasnot constituted until 1974. Over its many years inservice Westfield Health has raised and donatedfunds to a variety of regional and national hospitals.Not only have they increased the demand forhospital treatment, they have also improved thehealth of hundreds and thousands of people.

WESTFIELD HEALTH – HOW WE BEGAN

Record of the “1d in the £” Scheme – Sheffield Hospitals Council. 1919-1948.


PENNY written as 1d

The penny was equivalent to just under a half oftoday’s 1p and there were 12 pennies to a shilling. A 1d would buy you a daily newspaper and 2d a tripto the Saturday morning pictures.

Sheffield’s ‘Penny in the Pound’ Scheme was run bythe Sheffield Hospitals Council. In return forcontributing one penny out of every pound theyearned, members were entitled to receive free in- patient care at the Voluntary Hospitals associatedwith the fund. The fund meant that Sheffield’sVoluntary Hospitals received a regular income andguaranteed hospital care for its members.

The author of this “1d inthe £” Scheme, as itcame to be called, wasMr. Fred M. Osborn.Osborn suggested it at ameeting on 9th April1920, of a SpecialFinance Committeeappointed to find ways ofraising money forSheffield’s Voluntary

Hospitals. The Scheme was unanimously approvedby the Joint Council and the Boards of the fourmain hospitals.

How did it work? In return for treatment at anyVoluntary Hospital in Sheffield, workers wouldsubscribe each week one penny for every poundthey earned and the employers would add a third ofthe sum raised.

The Scheme was launched in April 1921 – exactly ayear after it had been proposed – and was animmediate success. Local employers, traders andlabour organisers and even the unemployed beganto give their support to the proposal by contributingto the “1d in the £” scheme. It was, however,reported that several years of persistentpropaganda were needed before the Scheme couldbe said to be approaching full development.

As soon as the success of the Scheme in Sheffieldwas assured, the Council began to look further

afield for support. An analysis of the addresses ofpatients at the four hospitals disclosed that manycame from outside the city and from within an areaof a 25 mile radius. The “1d in the £” Schemeexpanded to Rotherham in 1941 and then toBarnsley in 1942.

In 1945 the “1d in the £” Scheme was beginning toface its final years. The Government intended toprovide a National Health Service, towards the costof which everyone would contribute and whosebenefits would be available to all who wished toparticipate. The Government proposals for aNational Health Service provided no place for thegreat contributory scheme as such, and thedisappearance of this outlet for voluntary service.

From its foundation in 1919 until its termination in1948, the Sheffield Hospitals Council financedVoluntary Hospitals and its contributors, by meansof the sums received through its ContributoryScheme – known throughout history as the “1d inthe £ “ Scheme.

‘The Sheffield “1d in the £”Scheme is admirablyorganised and administeredand continues to hold aleading position amongsimilar organisationsthroughout the country’

“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty-Fourth Annual Report 1945 – Sheffield Hospitals Council

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PENNY IN THE POUND SCHEME – “1D IN THE £”

Mr. Fred M. Osborn


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A Record of 1923 – Sheffield Joint Hospitals Council.


By joining one of these Schemes, a member ofthe public, however humble his earnings, canmake a provision in time of health against apossible need in sickness, by contributing aweekly sum. They are a living testament to theclose co-operation between the hospitals andthe general public. Over ten million workingmen and women are members of theseschemes and have a direct personal interest in the hospitals which they support out of theirwages and to which they know they can lookfor help in time of sickness and trouble. A contributor can obtain treatment wheneveror wherever the necessity arises.

Sheffield is proud of its Scheme. It was thoughtout and planned after the war boom in 1918,but it was launched with the commencementof the greatest slump in trade known by anyliving person. No place has been hit harderfrom a trade point of view than Sheffield,however, not a single solvent firm haswithdrawn from the Scheme. The unemployed,previously connecting with contributingestablishments, are treated as if in work,arrangements were made for them to pay 1d aweek to the Scheme in order that they may beeligible to receive its full facilities. Thedestitute was extended and modernised andSheffield can give quality in its hospitalsservices, which it claims are ‘Fine as Steel’.

We must remember that ContributorySchemes are indeed a splendid example ofvoluntary effort. They help patients andhospitals alike and they foster interest andaffection for the hospitals among the public.The amazing tool of membership of theschemes means that taking contributors andtheir dependents together, they are soundlyassured of hospital treatment and certainancillary service, free of any charge.

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HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTORY SCHEMES

‘Hospital contributory schemes represent one of the mostremarkable growths of mutaual aid… They show the vitality ofvoluntary action in meeting newly-recognised needs evenafter the beginning of social insurance in 1911’

Book on Voluntary Action – Lord Beveridge

‘Sheffield is fortunate in itsContributory Scheme, for along pattern to the countryand a source of greatstrength to the VoluntaryHospitals’

“1d in the £” Scheme Eighteenth Annual Report 1940 – Sheffield Hospitals Council


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Important though the “1d in the £” Schemewas, it by no means dominated all of theCouncil’s activities. Progress began to be made with the aim of raising an additionalincome of £100,000 a year for improvinghospital accommodation and services. It wasevident that the “1d in the £” Scheme wouldnot bridge the gap, so the Council embarkedon a vigorous publicity campaign throughposters, leaflets and advertisement articles inthe Sheffield’s newspapers. The campaigns didhave a limited success. For example, onehelper suggested the erection of a purposebuilt bungalow, which could then be raffled forthe benefit of the hospitals. Suggestions werealso made to promote employee sweepstakes,lotteries and community events. Onegentleman from a local church band evenoffered to put on a series of local concertsthroughout the area to generate contributions.Hard pressed though it was for money,Westfield Health discreetly refused to acceptthem. However, contributions by the largenumber of unemployed men, who loyally madea weekly collection from the small wages theyreceived for task work, were gladly accepted.In the early 1930s when unemployment rose toa high level, the men voluntarily agreed to paya penny a week. By this means a substantialcontribution was made to the Council’s funds,and the men were able to continue theirmembership.

PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN

Advertisement for Sheffield Newspapers. Both papers raise theawareness of the ”1d in £” Scheme.


Key Facts

■ On 3rd September 1939 Britain declareswar on Germany

■ Westfield offices were based at 52 Westbourne Road, Sheffield

■ Rt. Rev. Leonard Burrows resigns from hisduty of Chairman. Rt. Rev. Leslie StannardHunter becomes his successor. Hunterguides the Council through the anxiousyears of war to its establishment on the newbasis dictated by the operation of theNational Service Act of 1948

■ Westfield continues to operate in serviceduring the war years. Contributions totalledmore than £100,000 per year

■ Hospital staff, officials and local schememembers begin organising special HospitalWeeks and local summer village fetes toencourage contributions to the “1d in the £”Scheme

■ Total amount received from “1d in the £”Scheme in 1939 was £198,042 1s 2d

■ Total amount distributed to the VoluntaryHospitals in 1939 was £168,781 15s 5d

The Second World War took place over theyears 1939-1945. During these years how didWestfield continue to operate during thisuncertain time? Did Westfield keep its doorsopen or could the Scheme simply not operateunder such uncertain circumstances?

On 3rd September, 1939, Britain declared waron Germany. The nation as a whole enteredinto a period of uncertain times, which affectedall aspects of daily life. In 1939, The SheffieldHospitals Council (Inc) offices were based at 52 Westbourne Road, Sheffield. The Chairmanwas Rt. Rev. The Lord Bishop of Sheffield –Leslie Hunter, Deputy Chairman was the iconicand visionary, Mr. Fred M. Osborn andCompany Secretary was Mr. C. R. Crabtree.Hunter succeeded Rt. Leonard Hedley Burrowswho passed away on 6th February 1940.

During 1939 the total income received was£198,042 1s 2d, compared with £197,689 15s. 2d in 1938, making an increase of £3526s.0d. Even with the declaration of war anduncertain times ahead, Westfield stillcontinued to provide a service to theircontributors and Voluntary Hospitals. In 1939,the Scheme contributed £168,781 6s. 5d to thefour Voluntary Hospitals.

‘The income of the Councilfrom the “1d in the £”Scheme and other sourcesfor the year 1939 shows asmall increase whencompared with the amountreceived in 1938. In view ofthe unsettled state of thecountry during the last fourmonths of the year, this mustbe regarded as extremelysatisfactory’


In each yearly annual report Westfield clearlyexpressed its grateful thanks to all who have, in any way, helped in forwarding the work ofthe Council during the years 1939-1945, and to all contributors and managements for thecontinued support, interest and faith in the “1d in the £” Scheme.

Even with war having been declared Councilmembers agreed that for the duration of thewar the “1d in the £” Scheme must still be runon the lines followed in recent years. Andcontinue it did.

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WESTFIELD HEALTH 1939


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‘That for the duration of thewar, it be agreed that the “1d in the £” Scheme be runon the lines followed inrecent years’


To help maintain the contributions to the “1d inthe £” Scheme in such unusual and uncertaintimes, officials, members and voluntaryhospital staff began organising special‘Hospital Weeks’ and summer Fetes in localparks. These were all specifically arranged toencourage the contributions to the “1d in the£” Scheme. In 1939, a local parade were heldat Ecclesfield, named the Ecclesfield Parade.Local fetes and parades took place at variousareas across Sheffield such as Chapeltown,Mosborough, High Green, Anston andHathersage. In total, they contributed over£1,153 to the ”1d in the £” Scheme. The mostcontributions raised were at Anston with £150collected. Their special efforts in helping toencourage this service were greatlyappreciated and praised by Westfield. Inaddition to the financial benefits whichresulted from the fetes, the publicity gainedwas of enormous value, as the Scheme wasbrought to the notice of people whose attentionwould not otherwise have been reached, suchas self employed workers and domesticservants. Unfortunately, the outbreak andprogression of the war caused the cessation ofthese activities. Up to the outbreak of theSecond World War in 1939 more than £15,000was handed over to the Council as proceedsfrom these events.

Even with the outbreak of the Second WorldWar, the Scheme still continued to operate.Key services that Westfield provided such asAuxiliary services, The Convalescent Fund,Motor Ambulance Transport service,Christmas and Easter deliveries all continuedto operate and still maintained their effectiveand efficient service.

“Id in the £” Scheme Eighteenth Annual Report 1939.

Roll of honour certificate awarded by the Sheffield Hospitals Council.


1939 – The Figures

Year 1939 Total

“1d in the £’ – total amount received £198,042 1s 2d

Total amount distributed to Voluntary Hospitals £168,781 6s 5d

Royal Infirmary £72,648 8s 11d

Royal Hospital £51,001 1s 10d

Jessop Hospital for Women £22,717 15s 11d

Children’s Hospital £13,221 1s 1d

Other Voluntary Hospitals £9,192 18s 8d

New firms joined 141 new firms – 4,182 employees

Number of new Council Members 8

Number of Christmas gifts delivered 2,472 Christmas parcels delivered Total cost Total Cost – £378 13s 6d

Easter egg deliveries No account of total number of eggsEggs delivered on 8th April 1939

Ambulance Service 38,411 patientsNumber of patients/miles run 191,788 miles run

Travelling expenses paid – £1,126 16s 4dtotal amount paid to contributors

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Key Facts

■ Sheffield city centre was hit by German Air raids. This became known as theSheffield Blitz – 12th, 13th and 15thDecember 1940

■ Jessop Hospital for Women was severelydamaged from the Blitz

■ Jessop Hospital for Women received thehighest levels of funds from the “1d in the£” Scheme. With these funds, a new laundryboiler was constructed and plans for a newMaternity Unit were developed

■ Voluntary Hospitals were put undercontinuous strain due to the heavycasualties from the bombings

■ Sheffield and District Golf Clubhouses wereused as temporary accommodation forpatients in case of further damage to theVoluntary Hospitals

■ 1940 was the highest year on record fromcontributions to the “1d in the £” Scheme.Totalling £226,002 (1s 11d)

■ Total amount distributed to the VoluntaryHospitals in 1940 was £200,311 (10s 8d)

As the war was accelerating by the day and theprospect of a German air attack inevitable,Westfield began to implement a plan of actionfor all of the four main Voluntary Hospitals.This plan of action was titled ‘War EmergencyMeasures’. Westfield was constantlyendeavouring to meet the obligations to theordinary sick and injured and at the same timekeep Sheffield’s main hospitals in a state ofreadiness to deal with an emergency situation.All hospitals were ordered to be kept in a stateof preparedness for any calls which might bemade upon it. The hospitals were prepared toevacuate all patients on wards on the upperfloor for fear of air attacks. Upper andvulnerable wards were temporarily closed andthe occupied beds in the other wards werereduced as a precautionary measure.

In 1940, Sheffield’s fear became a reality andthe city experienced the first German air raids.The raids took place on the 12th, 13th and15th December, 1940. This became known asthe Sheffield Blitz.

Despite the devastation and chaos that theyear 1940 brought, members still contributed£226,002 (1s. 11d) to the Scheme, an increaseof £27,960 (0s. 9d) on 1939. Even with the waraccelerating at a vigorous and hostile rate, theScheme still maintained to deliver its servicesto the hospitals and to the people of Sheffieldand its surrounding districts.

In 1940, the Scheme distributed £200,311 (10s.8d) to the surrounding Voluntary Hospitals. TheSheffield Royal Hospital and Jessop Hospitalfor Women reported that in 1940 it was thelargest collection of funds since the “1d in the£” Scheme was formed.

The Sheffield Royal Hospital reported:

‘The year 1940 saw thelargest collection of fundssince the “1d in the £”Scheme was launched. Tohave reached and exceededthe sum of £200,000 is a trulymagnificent response to theefforts of all concerned.Strenuous efforts were madeduring the year to maintainthe number of beds for thecivilian sick when so manywere occupied by service andair raid casualities’

“1d in the £” Scheme Nineteenth Annual Report 1940 – Sheffield Hospitals Council

With all hospitals under continuous strain,dealing with ordinary sick and injured patientsthey were also on guard for the fear of an air



attack. To help with any emergency situation,generous offers were made by certainSheffield and District Golf Clubs. Theyproffered accommodation in their Clubhousesfor the reception of patients in case ofnecessity. Obtaining the use of auxiliaryaccommodation also made plans.Arrangements were made at both Firbeck Halland George Woofindin Convalescent Home forthe use of their homes for any additionalemergency patients.

In 1940 the Jessop Hospital for Women, like somany other well known hospitals throughoutthe country, had its beneficent worktemporarily but considerably impaired as aresult of indiscriminate bombing. Towards theend of the year the building was severelydamaged externally and the interior wasrendered unserviceable by the blast. Duringthe raid, which lasted from dusk until dawn, alarge number of incendiaries were successfullydealt with and when damage by high explosivebombs and blast made even the ground floorunsafe for patients, they were evacuated to thebasement of the new building under greatdifficulty and danger.

“The hospital is now passingthrough a difficult period andthe Board are making everyendeavour to restore fullfacilities. Evacuation owing todamage to the main buildingmeans more units to maintainwith consequent higher ratioof staff. The added cost will begreat and will call for thewhole-hearted support of allsubscribers and contributorsif the Jessop Hospital is toemerge from the war periodwith its great reputationunimpaired.”


The Jessop Hospital for Women sufferedseverely from a prolonged and heavy air raid.The hospital was saved from fire and the patientsremoved to safety without casualties owing tothe courage and resource of all concerned.

In 1940 the hospital received a total amount of£26,752 by the “1d in the £” Scheme. This wasthe largest amount ever recorded. With theseincreased funds the hospital saw theconstruction of a new laundry boiler house andthe development of a new maternity block. Thesite for a new kitchen and stores was due to beerected, but its development was postponed,because of heavy demands on services fromthe war.

On the morning after the first air raid, patientswho were unfit to be sent home weretransferred to the Firth Auxiliary Hospital atNorton. Soon after the raids the outpatientdepartment was made sufficiently habitable toresume sessions and first aid repairs madesome of the wards usable for casualty beds.

The Jessop Hospital for Women reported tothe Board and to subscribers their utmostregret that the services of the hospital had tobe temporarily curtailed at a time when highhopes were entertained that much neededextension of accommodation would be in fulloperation.

In the Jessop Hospital for Women there was acollection of staff labelled the Linen League.The Linen League processed all the laundry,material and garments for the hospital. Greatas the wartime demands were upon theLeague’s time and service, the ladies of theLinen League did not relax their helpful effortsand they continued to supply clean materialand garments for the hospital and its patients.

The year 1940 was one of strain and anxiety forthe Voluntary Hospitals. Their resources werelargely drawn upon by the Government toprovide beds for possible casualties and at thesame time the ordinary needs of the civilianpopulation had to be met. Some like theJessop Hospital for Women had to meet andovercome the strain of enforced evacuationowing to air raid damage and successfullycarry on. Added to these trials the Jessop

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Hospital for Women had the work and planningof years brought to a temporary halt by therestriction on enlarging and processdevelopment of the building.

In the 1940 Annual Report, Westfield stronglyannounced that the interruption in thehospital’s progress was temporary and thatthey looked forward to the time when theircarefully prepared plans of expansion andmodernisation would be resumed.

The Board also acknowledged all hospitalstaff:

‘The Board would like to take this opportunity ofpaying tribute to theexemplary manner in whichthe members of the differentstaff (and volunteers) havecarried out their duties inconditions of danger anddifficulty.’


At Sheffield Children’s Hospital two new clinicswere inaugurated in April 1940. One for thetreatment of rheumatism and the other for thecorrection of squints. The Clinic was under thecontrol of Mr. A. B. Nutt an HonoraryOphthalmic Surgeon. From its inception inApril, 167 patients availed themselves of itsservice and the total attendances to bothClinics numbered 1,586.

The hospital Board expressed their profoundthanks to the Sheffield Hospital Council and tothe members of the Contributory Scheme fortheir generosity and sustained efforts during avery difficult year. The year 1940 proved that itwas vital that the Scheme still stayed inoperation.

“1d in the £ Scheme” Nineteenth Annual Report 1940.



Year 1940 Total

“1d in the £” – total amount received £226,002 1s 11d









Number of Christmas gifts delivered Limited number of parcels delivered Total cost due to the Sheffield Blitz

Easter egg deliveries No account of total number of eggsEggs delivered 28th April 1940


Travelling expenses paid – £1,002 5s 0dtotal amount paid out

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Key Facts

■ Westfield creates war ‘Reserve Funds’ forthe Voluntary Hospitals

■ The Rotherham Contributory Scheme isestablished

■ Total amount received from “1d in the £”Scheme in 1941 is £258,719 (4s 6d)

■ Total amount distributed to the VoluntaryHospitals in 1941 is £229,046 (15s 5d)

With a nation still at war and Sheffield leftrecovering from the devastating aftermath ofthe Blitz, Westfield and the ExecutiveCommittee of the Contributors’ Associationdecided to make recommendations to theVoluntary Hospitals for the creation of ‘ReserveFunds’. These ‘Reserved Funds’ would be usedto cope with any more unforeseen bombingsand also to tackle any problems which mayhave to be overcome at the conclusion ofhostilities. Recommendations were also madeto the Voluntary Hospitals to increase amountsreceived from private subscribers and donors.

Despite the chaos that had hit Sheffield theprevious year, the contributions receivedamounted to £258,719 4s 6d, an increase of£32,717 compared to 1940. This proves thatWestfield still continued to function and servethe Voluntary Hospitals and community ofSheffield under all circumstances.

Rotherham Contributory Scheme

As soon as the success of the Scheme inSheffield was assured, the Council began tolook further a field for more support. Ananalysis of the addresses of patients at thefour hospitals disclosed that many came fromoutside the city and from within an area of a 25 mile radius. So, 1941 saw the extension ofthe “1d in the £” Scheme by the formation of aContributory Scheme for the Borough ofRotherham and the surrounding area. Most ofthe Council’s contributing establishments inthe district were immediately transferred to

the Rotherham Scheme. Mr. A. Clarkeresigned his position at the Council inconsequence of the formation of theRotherham Contributory Scheme.


“1d in the £” Scheme Twentieth Annual Report 1941.


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“1d in the £” Scheme Twentieth Annual Report 1941.


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Year 1941 Total










Number of Christmas gifts delivered No record of how many gifts were delivered Total cost Total cost was £508 8s 6d.

Easter egg deliveries 26,453 eggs were delivered. Record year


Travelling expenses paid – £939 12s 2dtotal amount paid out


Key Facts

■ Barnsley Contributory Scheme isestablished in April 1942

■ The Beveridge Report is published inDecember 1942

■ Westfield develop a Sub Committee toaddress the problems that were to face theScheme after the publication of theBeveridge Report

■ The Scheme welcomed six new councilmembers

■ Deputy Chairman of the AmbulanceServices Committee, Mr. W. Arthur, passes away

■ Total amount received from “1d in the £”Scheme in 1942 was £291,528 (12s 6d)

■ Total amount distributed to the VoluntaryHospitals in 1942 was £256,086 (15s 5d)

In 1942 Westfield introduced the BarnsleyContributory Scheme, the same year that theBeveridge Report was published. TheBeveridge Report was the first Governmentdocument that directly indicated that theBritish health care system was about tochange. This brought news to the Council thatmore uncertain times were ahead – theintroduction of the National Health Service. In I942 contributions to the Scheme increasedby £32,809 8s. 0d when compared with the year 1941.

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“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty-First Annual Report 1942.


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Year 1942 Total










Number of Christmas gifts delivered No record of how many gifts were deliveredTotal cost Total cost was £487 6s 7d

Easter egg deliveries 8,689 eggs were delivered.




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Barnsley Contributory Scheme

In April 1942, after protracted negotiations, theCouncil entered into an agreement with theBeckett Hospital, Barnsley, for the extension ofthe “1d in the £” Scheme to the borough ofBarnsley and the surrounding districts fromwhich the Beckett Hospital drew its patients.

Many local and much larger firms had beencontributing to the Sheffield Scheme for someyears, but under the terms of the newagreement they were transferred to the newBarnsley Scheme. The office in Barnsley wasbased at 8 Regent Street. The Council invitedMr. W. H. Newton, Chairman of the BeckettHospital, Barnsley and Mr. H. Pickering, amember of the Board of the hospital tobecome members of the Council. Mr. W. S.Green was appointed as organiser and a

Control Committee under the chairmanship of Councillor A. E. McVie, with an ExecutiveSub-Committee presided over by Councillor C. Dransfield was set up.

Progress was slow at first, but in due coursemost of the chief firms and organisations were enrolled and voluntary committees were formed in villages throughout the area. During the first year the Scheme was operatedin the Barnsley area the income totalledapproximately £30,000, but this sum wasincreased considerably in the ensuing years.

In order to help contributors from all theSchemes in the district to receive treatment at hospitals where it was most convenient,agreements were made between the Counciland respective Contributory Schemes on areciprocal basis.

Beckett Hospital – Barnsley


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Record of the “1d in the £” Scheme Sheffield Hospitals Council Incorporated 1919-1948.


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The Beveridge Report 1942

In December 1942 the first issue of TheBeveridge Report was circulated. In this yearWestfield began to give very carefulconsideration to the report and the impact thatit would have on their future. To extend thescope of their enquiry into the report, a SubCommittee was developed. The SubCommittees function was to produce aninterim report which would directly highlightthe future problems confronting the Scheme.

Its author, Sir William Beveridge, presentedthe Beveridge Report to the British Parliamentin November 1942. It provided a summary ofprinciples necessary to banish poverty and‘want’ from Britain. The paper proposed asystem of social security which would beoperated by the state and to be implementedat war’s end.

In 1945, Clement Attlee and the Labour Partydefeated Winston Churchill’s ConservativeParty in the general election. The new PrimeMinister, Attlee, announced the introduction ofthe Welfare State as outlined in the 1942Beveridge Report. This included theestablishment of a National Health Service in1948, with free medical treatment for all. Anational system of benefits was alsointroduced to provide social security, so thatthe population would be protected ‘from thecradle to the grave’.

The report was commissioned to look intoways that Britain should be rebuilt after theSecond World War. Beveridge recommendedthat the Government should find ways offighting the five ‘Giant Evils’ of Want, Disease,Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. Beveridgeargued for social progression, which required acoherent Government policy. His argumentwas based on social surveys that had beencarried out between both world wars. Thesesurveys covered topics of poverty as well as oldage and low birth rates. The problem of adiminishing population, Beveridge argued,made it ‘imperative to give first place in socialexpenditure to the care of childhood and to thesafeguarding of maternity’. Other areascovered were unemployment, disability andretirement. A large section of the reportdescribes the economic situation and his

vision for provisional rates of benefit andcontribution and how they might be managed.

It considered the whole question of socialinsurance, arguing that want could beabolished by a system of social securityorganised for the individual by the state.Beveridge recommended the establishment ofa National Health Service, national insuranceand assistance, family allowances, andstressed the importance of full-employment.

The principal outcome of the Beveridge Reportled to the establishment of a system of socialsecurity and the National Health Service afterthe war. Even in today’s society the ideas thatwere outlined in the Beveridge Report are stillconsidered to provide the foundation of themodern Welfare State.

Beveridge was a British economist and socialreformer. He was born in Bengal, India in 1879,he passed away on 16th March 1963.


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Sir William Beveridge.


Key Facts

■ Barnsley Contributory Scheme making slow progress

■ A new Standing Committee is formed to acton behalf of the new Barnsley ContributoryScheme to increase the number ofcontributors

■ The Government ‘White Paper’ on theNational Health Service is issued


■ Total amount distributed to VoluntaryHospitals in 1943 was £287,389 (9s 9d)

In 1943 it was reported that the contributionsreceived during the year showed a substantialincrease. The Scheme received an increase of£35,258 12s. 5d compared to 1942. This was

the first year in which the increased amountsreceived from the Barnsley area had beenbrought into account.

It was reported that the Scheme hadprogressed rather slowly in the Barnsley area,but progress had been considered satisfactory,despite some opposition from certain quarters.The actual income received from the Barnsleyarea during 1943 was £29,948 18s 7d. £22,000was then distributed to the Board of BeckettHospital.

During the year 1943, the Council set up a newStanding Committee known as the BarnsleyControl Committee, to act on behalf of the newCouncil in Barnsley. The Committee were co-opted representatives to the Board of theBeckett Hospital in Barnsley, and various otherorganisations in the town. The Committee wasto act on behalf of the new Scheme to increasethe number of contributors.

1943 saw the issue of the Government ‘WhitePaper’ on the introduction of the NationalHealth Service following the publication of theBeveridge Report. In the Commonwealth ofNations, ‘White Paper’ is an informal name for a Parliamentary paper enunciatingGovernment policy. ‘White Papers’ are issuedby the Government and their main objective isto lay out policy, or propose action on a specifictopic of concern. In 1943, the Governmentissued a ‘White Paper’ explaining the vision ofhow the Government were going to build amodern and dependable National HealthService for post-war Britain. With the ‘WhitePaper’ publication and the Beveridge Reportthe previous year, both documents receivedvery close attention from Westfield, theVoluntary Hospitals and the Area Committee ofthe British Hospitals Association as they allneeded to address what changes lay ahead.

1943 was a very uncertain year for Britain andfor the Scheme. The war was still acceleratingat a vigorous rate with Italy and America nowentering into the conflict and the proposedfunctions of the National Health Service werebeginning to lay their foundations.

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“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty-Second Annual Report 1943.


25


“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty-Second Annual Report 1943.



Year 1943 Total







Beckett Hospital, Barnsley £22,015 0s 0d




Number of Christmas gifts delivered No record of how many gifts were delivered Total cost Total cost was £522 12s 7d

Easter egg deliveries No record of eggs being delivered

Ambulance Service No of Patients /miles run 46,078 patients212,914 miles run

Travelling expenses paid – £1,033 12s 2dtotal amount paid out

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27


Key Facts

■ Reports show that the BarnsleyContributory Scheme is still making veryslow progress

■ Britain enters into a period of uncertaintyand fear, as the national press beginreporting on German and Sovietprogression

■ The 23rd Sheffield Hospital Council AnnualReport was only five pages long, comparedwith the average 12 pages



In 1944 the “1d in the £” Scheme progressed toa record level and the total amount distributedto Voluntary Hospitals was the highest amountdonated in the history of the Scheme. It wasreported that the contributions received during1944 showed a substantial increase over theprevious year. The actual amount received was£342,510 (13s 5d). There was an increase of£17,495 (1s 2d) compared with the previousyear. This amount was also the highest amountrecorded during the six war years.

However, despite the record level of funds andcontributions, 1944 was deemed a very slowand uneventful year. The Annual Report for theyear was only five pages long; this waspredominately low considering the averagenumber of pages was 12.

The results for 1944 for the Barnsley areaagain were not so good as originallyanticipated. It was reported in Westfield’s 23rdAnnual Report that ‘there were certain causesbeyond our control, which have caused adiminution of contributions’.

Even across Britain, the nation as a whole wasexperiencing a period of depression andpessimism. The nation was still at the heightof war, uncertain when it would end and thenumber of casualties and the loss of loved

ones was continually increasing. The nationalpress were also reporting on the progressionof the Germans and Soviets. Germany werequickly obtaining power over large parts of theEastern Bloc: Hungry, Romania andYugoslavia. The fear that there was apossibility the Allies may lose the war sweptacross Britain, forcing the nation into a periodof fear and uncertainty. Local hospitals werealso still under strain dealing with returnedinjured soldiers as well as the local sick andinjured.


“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty-Third Annual Report 1944.



Year 1944 Total









New firms joined 89 new firms – 1,137employees


Number of Christmas gifts delivered No record of how many gifts were delivered Total cost Total cost was £531 6s

Easter egg deliveries No record of eggs being delivered this year


Travelling expenses paid – £1,155 19s 9dTotal amount paid out

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29


Key Facts

■ On 8th May 1945, the Allies acceptedGermany’s surrender, about a week afterAdolf Hitler committed suicide

■ The Allies were victorious, and, as a result,the Soviet Union and the United Statesemerged as the world’s leadingsuperpowers. This set the stage for theCold War, which lasted for the next 45 years. The United Nations was formed inthe hope of preventing another such conflict

■ 8th May 1945 – Winston Churchillannounces VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) tocelebrate the end of the Second World War.Street parties were held all over Britain tocelebrate the end of the war

■ Westfield had offices at Westfield Terrace,Sheffield, 8 Regent Street, Barnsley and 9 Grove Street in Retford

■ New Plastic and Jaw Unit erected at theRoyal Hospital

■ Westfield supply the Children’s Hospitalwith a grant for £19,000 and the JessopHospital for Women £10,000. These grantswere for a post-war reserve fund

■ Westfield began preparing for the formationof the NHS and the disablement of the “1d in the £” Scheme.

■ Termination of arrangements with theAuxiliary Hospitals



With the termination of the war with bothGermany and Japan and the turnover frommunitions of war to peacetime production,Westfield already anticipated that there wouldbe a decrease in the contributions comparedwith the previous year. Although there was noserious reduction in the number ofcontributors, the weekly contributions had

been reduced owing to the cessation ofpiecework and weekends.

The actual amount contributed from the “1d in the £” Scheme was £332,767 (4s. 4d),compared with £342,510 (13s 5d) in 1944, adecrease of £10,723. This was the first yearthat the Council received a decrease from theprevious year. Due to this decline, theVoluntary Hospitals received a lower amountthan the previous year.

The Royal Infirmary and the Jessop Hospitalfor Women reported a decrease in income dueto the fall in ordinary payments from the “1d inthe £” Scheme, though The Jessop Hospital forWomen was granted £10,000 for post-warreserve purposes and it also saw the extensionof 300 beds. The Jessop Hospital for Womenalso pushed forward their plans for theerection of a new Teaching Block. SheffieldChildren’s Hospital also received a grant for£19,000. This grant was to the credit of a post-war reserve account.

In 1945, The Children’s Hospital also saw theformation of a new Department of ChildHealth. This department was in conjunctionwith the University of Sheffield. The activities ofthe Department would deal with not only thediagnosis and treatment of children’s diseases,but also with the prevention and promotion ofchild health. The Department was also to beused for the training of medical students andfor giving post-graduate experience toqualified doctors. With this new Department,the Scheme donated £1,000 to the cost of newsurgical training appliances. This was fundedby contributions to the “1d in the £” Scheme.

In 1945, Westfield issued the followingstatement in its 24th Annual Report:

‘In echoing the nation’sthankfulness for the blessingof peace heralded by thevictorious end of the war, the Voluntary Hospitals look back with no little



satisfaction on thecontribution the hospitalsmade during the war years intreating the sick and injuredamongst the civilianpopulation and in tending tothe needs of our woundedfighting men from all thebattle fronts. Our gratitudethat no longer will there beconvoys of wounded arrivingat our gates is truly deep –but the battle against diseasestill goes on.’In 1945, the Royal Hospital established a newspecial department of surgery known as thePlastic and Jaw Unit. Surgeons andtechnicians, all specially trained for this highlyskilled work and with the experience gained

from the treatment of casualties of war, wereappointed to work as a team in the repairing ofdamaged bone and tissue. The unit was alsoresponsible for the treatment of burns. Duringthe war years, such units were set up as partof the emergency medical service. It wasbelieved that this was the first department ofits kind to be established by a VoluntaryHospital.

In 1945 Sheffield saw the establishment of aCentral Preliminary Training School forNursing. It took several years to secure a newestablishment for the School, though in 1945 alarge house in Ranmoor Park Road waspurchased. The nurses were to spend the firstthree months of term in the Training Schooland their course of study included lectures,demonstrations and theoretical and practicalnursing classes. The course afforded anintroduction to the hospital wards and at thesame time it gave both the candidate and thehospital authorties an opportunity to find outwhether the student nurse was likely to adaptherself to hospital routine.

Along with the termination of the war, theclose of year also saw the termination ofarrangements made in the early days of thewar for the treatment of patients in AuxiliaryHospitals such as Fireback at Buxton and HighWray in Sheffield. The Auxiliary Hospitalsplayed an important part during the war yearsas they provided much needed support andadditional help to the local Voluntary Hospitals.

In 1945, the beginning of a new building for anew accident department alongsideOrthopaedic Wards at the Royal Infirmary Unitwas delayed. Unfortunately, the delay of thebuild was unavoidable due to the conclusion ofthe war and also not being able to obtain theMinistry of Health’s permit to proceed with work.

In 1945 the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Truston behalf of the Minister of Health conducted ahospital survey. The survey highlighted thatSheffield was inadequate in the numbers ofthe available consultants in the area. Thesurveyors noted that Sheffield must expandand improve by offering services for apopulation estimated between 600,000 and700,000. The survey also highlighted therelationship between poor health and diseasesto social background.

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“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty- Fourth Annual Report 1945.


31


In 1945, Westfield began preparing for thechanges that lay ahead – the introduction ofthe NHS and the evident disablement of the“1d in the £” Scheme. In Westfield’s 25thAnnual Report they addressed the changesahead of them. Westfield assumed belief thattransferring ownership and responsibility ofthe Voluntary Hospitals to the Governmentwould result in a discouragement of localinterest in the hospitals. They felt that aremotely situated body of governors who maynot even know the geography of the hospitaland the staff who comprise the entity of thehospital can efficiently control it. They believedevery hospital should have its own individualmanagement board made up primarily of localpeople who know the hospital, its traditions, its internal needs, its patients and its staff.

‘No hospital can beeffectively controlled by aremotely situated body ofgovernors who may not evenknow the geography of thehospital, much less themedical, nursing and laystaff who comprise its human entity’

“1d in the £” Scheme Twenty-Fifth Annual Report 1945 – Sheffield Hospitals Council

Westfield felt that only this way will localinterest in the service be maintained and onlyby the retention of local interest and servicewill human and personal aspects of thenational hospital service be assured.

With the NHS not coming into operation until1948, the Scheme fully understood that it wastoo early to comment further upon the NHS Bill.

Despite Westfield’s worries and concerns, theyvowed that they would give their full support tothe Bills aims to retain the opportunities ofindividuals to service, and support by voluntarymethods the hospitals for which they had doneso much and in whose support they had soloyally laboured. Westfield also announced thatthey hoped that the Government and theirNational Health Bill would meet the claim andadequately provide for all.

‘It seems at the time ofwriting this Report that theGovernment’s proposal for aNational Health Serviceprovides no place for thegreat contributory schemes,as such and the disappearanceof this outlet for voluntaryservice and giving is one ofthe effects of the proposalsmuch to be deplored’


During the years 1939-1945, Westfield stilloperated and ran an effective and smoothservice. Each year saw new establishments,new members, higher numbers contributing tothe famous “1d in the £” Scheme and over£1,730,251 was distributed to the fourVoluntary Hospitals. Westfield Health is aleading example of an organisation that nevergave up and proved beyond belief that nothingcan stop the great people of Sheffield providingfor the city they are so proud of.

Celebrating the end of the War. VE Day celebrations 1945.


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Information Handbook – Sheffield & District Convalescent & Hospitals Services Council.


33



Year 1945 Total











Number of Christmas gifts delivered No record of how many gifts were deliveredTotal cost Total cost was £569 16s 1d

Easter egg deliveries No record of eggs being delivered

Ambulance Service 53,706 patientsNumber of patients/miles run 248,562.4 miles run

Convalescent fund – 1,134Number of patients who received treatment



This is a tradition that has not changed because even in 1939 the Council were still enrolling newfirms into the “1d in the £“ Scheme. With the continued improvement in trade in Sheffield, Westfieldsucceeded in enrolling over 727 new firms into the Scheme during the years 1939-1945 and 15,089employees! This proves that Westfield still continued working and making the sale even when thecountry was at war!

Summary of New Sales 1939-1945

Year No. of new firms joining No. of employees Acceptance forms – small traders who pay £1 per annum

1939 141 4,189 338

1940 98 1,224 127

1941 99 1,980 115

1942 92 1,322 127

1943 66 1,139 123

1944 89 1,137 87

1945 142 4,098 153

Contributions by Employees and Employers to the “1d in the £” Schemebetween 1939-1945

Year Contributions by employees and employers

1939 £198,042

1940 £226,002

1941 £258,719

1942 £291,528

1943 £325,647

1944 £342,510

1945 £331,738

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NEW FIRMS AND OFFICES 1939-1945


35


Total amount received by the Voluntary Hospitals from “1d in the £” Schemebetween 1939-1945


1939 £168,781

1940 £200,311

1941 £229,046

1942 £256,086

1943 £287,389

1944 £303,389

1945 £284,685

Office Locations

The offices of the Council were originally located in St. Peter’s Close, Sheffield, and, successively,Westfield Terrace, Orchard Street, Church Street and 89/91 Division Street in 1967. The Councilagreed that steps needed to be taken to obtain a suitable site on which to erect its own premises,having in mind the rapid expasion of the Contributory Scheme. On 7th April, 1973, “Westfield House”was officially opened as the new offices for the Sheffield and District Convalescent and HospitalsServices Council (Inc) by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield (Alderman Mrs. Martha Strafford).

During the war years not only were there offices in Sheffield and Barnsley, but also one in Retford.

Sheffield St. Peter’s Close

Barnsley 8 Regent Street

Retford 9 Grove Street


The Government intended to establish aNational Health Service for the nation, with itsmain focus to improve health among thepeople of Britain. The Service was to providefor everyone all the medical advice, treatmentand care they may require. For the first time inhistory, hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists,opticians and dentists were brought togetherunder one umbrella to provide services thatwere free for all at the point of delivery. Thiswas a momentous achievement as the systemwas based on principles unlike anything thathad gone before in health care. In the sameway, it was hard for people in 1948 to see whata national health service was going to meanfor them and for future generations. It was thefirst time, anywhere in the world, thatcompletely free healthcare was made availableon the basis of citizenship and need rather thanthe payment of fees or insurance premiums.

The man who brought the Health Service intobeing was Aneurin Bevon, a Welsh miner whobecame a Labour politician. Bevon handed theresponsibility for healthcare and housing bythe new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, in thefirst post-Second World War government.

The National Health Service Bill was read in March 1946 and the first National HealthService Act was passed the followingNovember, to come into operation on 5th July, 1948. This was the first time sinceWestfield’s formation in 1919 that its futurewas potentially threatened.

The NHS was born out of a ideal that goodhealthcare should be available to all,regardless of wealth. The NHS was founded at the time when massive innovation wasoccurring, some stimulated by the war.Pharmaceuticals were creating new drugs,antibiotics were becoming more advanced andultrasound was built upon wartime electronics.The National Health Service started in 1948 in

a society weary but disciplined by war, andaccustomed to austerity.

Initially it seemed offering free medical servicesto all, would render contributory schemes suchas Westfield’s largely irrelevant. Prior to theestablishment of the NHS, hospital contributoryschemes provided a cheap form of healthinsurance to low income families. The BeveridgeReport, published on 2nd December 1942, is aremarkable state paper and its eager receptionby a public totally absorbed in war has beeneven more remarkable. The Beveridge Reportprovided that, after this war, every citizen, richand poor, young and old, shall be covered byinsurance benefits or allowances, togetherwith services in kind in all the emergencies oflife, such as sickness, unemployment,retirement in old age and death. On 5th July,1948, Bevon and Beveridge got their wish andour healthcare changed forever.

Lord Beveridge raised the standard and themodern contributory scheme, of which Sheffieldwas a pioneer, demonstrated that a weeklycontribution by all should ensure the means ofproviding for all. The British hospitalcontributory schemes have developed duringthe inter war years to the point where, throughthe accumulation of small weekly contributionsfrom a mass membership, they providedsubstantial proportions of hospital income.

With the introduction of the NHS and thetransference of the Voluntary Hospitals underthe National Health Service Act, the mainpurpose of the “1d in the £” Scheme and of the Contributors’ Association ceased. It washowever, decided that a Convalescent HomeService and a Special Purposes Fund shouldbe created in order to provide amenities forpatients and staff in hospitals, to assist in theprovision of research and for providing otherfacilities not financed by the National HealthService Act.

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THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

The NHS was born on 5th July, 1948, out of a long-held idealthat good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.


37


Working alongside the NHS

The war years of 1939-1945 saw the gestationof today’s NHS. The start of the Welfare Stateand the National Health Service in July 1948led to a depressing fall in income for the fund.Contributory Schemes in many other townsand cities ceased to operate – but notWestfield! The only schemes with a chance ofsurvival were those which were large and wellfounded and who could find further reasons forattracting membership. Most of thecontributory schemes that continued tooperate lost many members when the NHSbegan to provide free hospitalisation for thenation. In 1948, the number of schemes inexistence totalled over 400. Westfield was afighting survivor. Many of the Schemes acrossBritain terminated with the establishment ofthe NHS and its promise of free universalhospital care. However, Westfield was afighting survivor who chose to carry on.

Many subscribers did withdraw theirmembership but thousands decided, like theScheme, to carry on, being conscious from theoutset that many desirable features of a healthservice were not going to be provided by theNHS – a situation which would be underscored

in 1951 when NHS charges were introduced forprescriptions, dental services and glasses. Bythe 1950s it became apparent that the NHSwas struggling to provide everything everyonewanted. People of all ages were not impressedwith NHS spectacles, they wanted somethingmore fashionable.

The introduction of free medical serviceswithin the National Health Service and statecontrol of hospitals did not spell the end ofcontributory schemes. Even Lord Beveridgehimself and Aneurin Bevan, who formulatedthe detailed plan for the NHS, recognised theimportance of maintaining the spirit of mutualaid. The Council maintained this spirit with apenny per week scheme to provideconvalescent benefits, free hospital amenitiesand medical research. In 1956 an extendedscheme of general benefits was introduced –the forerunner of the Westfield Schemes today.

A minority of contributory schemes remainedin existence post-1948. Westfield Health wasone of them. The total sum raised by thescheme by 1948 exceeded £5,00,000. Manyschemes evolved into provident associationsoffering private health insurance; othersremained committed to the provision of low

Fundraising Dinner, Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, date unknown.


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Labour Health Secretary Aneurin Bevan, who began the NHS on 5th July 1945.

Aneurin Bevan greets a patient, 1945.


39


cost benefits to a blue collar clientele andcontinued to be known as HospitalContributory Schemes.

With the inaugration of the NHS and thetransference of the Voluntary Hospitals underthe National Health Service Act, the mainpurpose of the “1d in the £” Scheme and theContributors’ Association ceased. It was,however, decided that a Convalescent HomeService and a Special Purposes Fund shouldbe created in order to provide amenities forpatients and staff in hospitals, to assist in theprovision of research and for providing otherfacilities not financed by the National HealthService Act.

It was also reported that under the NationalHealth Service Act many of the originalcontributors’ representatives were elected bythe Sheffield Regional Hospital Board to sit onthe Management Committees set up tomanage the hospitals in Sheffield andsurrounding district.

So how far has the Council been able to carryout its ambitious objectives set up in itsoriginal Constitution prior to the introductionof the NHS? In 1921, when the first ExecutiveCommittee was elected, there were 960organisations contributing to the “1d in the £”Scheme, with approximately 100,000contributors. At the end of 1947 there wereover 3,800 contributing establishments, with360,000 contributors. In 1923, the income ofthe Hospitals Council was £88,688 and in 1947,the income had reached an astounding total of£402,698. In the 27 years in which the Schemehad been operating over five and a half millionpounds has been received.

It can truly be said that the Contributors’Association, and the dedicated contributors tothe “1d in the £” Scheme during its relativelyshort life of 27 years, have played an extremelyimportant part in securing for the citizens ofSheffield and the surrounding districts anincreased hospital service which was beyondthe dreams and expectations of those whoattended the very first meeting in November1921.

‘Under the National HealthService Act in 1946, the “1d in the £” Scheme will bediscontinued and the Boardwishes to record its deepappreciation of theindispensable work whichhas been carried out over 25 years’



The Sheffield Hospitals Council, formed in1919, was the forerunner of Westfield Health.It was created to give much needed financialsupport to the city’s four Voluntary Hospitalsand its work continued until 1948. During thewar years, how were the four main hospitalsaffected and how did Westfield continue tosupport them through these uncertain times?

During the war years Sheffield was wellserved by four Voluntary Hospitals:

The Royal Infirmaryfounded in 1797 500 beds

The Royal Hospital founded in 1832 340 beds

The Jessop Hospital for Womenfounded in 1864 146 beds

The Children’s Hospital founded in 1875 110 cots

Voluntary Hospitals have existed for 800 years.In the early days the care of the sick was in thehands of the monasteries. Later, the duty oforganising hospitals and medicines wasundertaken by generous benefactors, but whilethe rich gave their pounds, the poor, too, havealways contributed their pence.

Before 1914, the four Voluntary Hospitals inSheffield had worked independently. There hadeven been a touch of friendly rivalry betweenthe two ‘generals’, the Infirmary and the Royal.This outlook was changed by the war, whichbrought the medical staff together. After theArmistice it was realised that in peace, as inwar, there must be unity in another commoncause – ‘that of tending the suffering andhealing the sick’.

In order to obtain adequate financial supportfor the voluntary institutions, a ContributoryScheme, known as the “1d in the £” scheme,

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WESTFIELD HEALTH

HOSPITALS 1939-1945

Sheffield Royal Hospital.


41


was launched in 1919. The Sheffield HospitalsCouncil was formed to manage it and also toact as agents and advisors to the VoluntaryHospitals on matters affecting hospital policy.In addition to providing financial support forthe hospitals, the Contributory Schemeprovided in some measures for Ambulancetransport, Convalescent service, and otherAncillary services.

The Hospitals Council consisted ofrepresentatives, not only of the VoluntaryHospitals, but also of practically every phase of opinion in the city. It had 90 members, andheld its meetings monthly. In conjunction withthe Council was the Sheffield and DistrictAssociation of Hospital Contributors, of whichevery contributor to the Scheme was amember. This organisation works in close co-operation with the Hospitals Council andhad direct representation on the Board ofManagement of the Voluntary Hospitals and theHospitals Council. The offices were in WestfieldTerrace, adjacent to the Royal Hospital.

In Sheffield a public outcry greeted the 1943‘White Paper’ on the NHS. The people ofSheffield were fearful they would lose theirexcellent hospital service that they had loyallycontributed to the success of.

Jessop Hospital for Women, Sheffield.

Sheffield Royal Infirmary.

Children’s Hospital, Sheffield.


The Royal Infirmary

Originally named the General Infirmary when it was built in 1792, the hospital was built by J. D. Webster & Son and many of theestablishment’s features made it unique.Before its construction, well-known hospitalarchitects were invited to submit designs forthe new hospital. It had an innovative octagonaloutpatients’ department and a tiled waitingroom. It adopted the ‘Royal’ label after a visitby Queen Victoria in 1897, followed by theopening of a new nurses home in the sameyear. The hospital closed in 1980, with many ofthe original buildings being demolished. Theoriginal block was renamed Heritage Houseand was a Grade II listed building. However,despite its history and heritage a Tescosupermarket now occupies the site.

In 1939, both the Sheffield Royal Infirmary andthe Royal Hospital were amalgamated into oneinstitution. This was regarded as an epoch inthe hospital movement in the city. In 1945, theRoyal established a new special department of

surgery known as the Plastic and Jaw Unit.During the war years, such units were set upas part of the emergency medical service. Itwas believed that this was the first departmentof its kind to be established by a VoluntaryHospital. These extensions and vastimprovements to all the Voluntary Hospitalsduring the war years would not have beenpossible without Westfield and the dedicatedcontributors to the “1d in the £” Scheme.

‘The contributory schemesupported by employers andemployees in the city andneighbourhood has enabledthese extensions at theVoluntary Hospitals to bemaintained at high pitch ofefficiency.’


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Operating Theatre, Royal Infirmary.


43


The Royal Infirmary.

Royal Infirmary Waiting Room.


The Jessop Hospital for Women

The Jessop Hospital for Women was opened in1878 with funds from Thomas Jessop (1804-1887), one of Sheffield’s eminent and wealthysteel barons. It was built to replace the oldSheffield Hospital for Women, which had only 9 beds. The building cost £26,000 – a lot ofmoney at the time – all paid for by Jessop.Initially, it had 57 beds, and was built in theclassic Victorian style. Much progress andexpansion followed and in 1939, at the outbreakof the Second World War, there were beds for151 patients. During the War, it suffered severebomb damage from the German air raids inDecember 1940. However, with continuousvoluntary contributions, rebuilding speedily gotunderway. The hospital continued to grow andprogress during the war years and by 1943, thenew extensions were completed and this

enabled 217 beds to be in full use. The hospitalalso saw the addition of a further 10 beds in1944.

In 2001, the hospital was closed and moved toa newly built maternity hospital at the rear ofthe Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Today theJessop Hospital for Women is a leadingtraining school for midwifery as well asproviding more than 170 beds. It is known thatall babies born at Jessop Hospital for Womenreceive a certificate stating they are ‘truly madein Sheffield’.

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Jessop Hospital for Women, Sheffield.


45




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WESTFIELD HEALTH

The Royal Hospital

Built in 1922 and later demolished in 1981, theRoyal Hospital stood close to where our officesstand today. The Zion Chapel on WestfieldTerrace was converted into the hospital’soutpatient department in 1927, with the futurePrime Minister Neville Chamberlain performingthe official opening ceremony. The hospitalwas demolished in 1981, when the NorthernCounties Housing Association built their officeson land behind the chapel, but the chapel itselfwas restored to its former glory and incorporatedinto the structure of the new building.

The Sheffield Royal Hospital reported:

‘The year 1940 saw thelargest collection of fundssince the “1d in the £”scheme was launched. Tohave reached and exceededthe sum of £200,000 is a trulymagnificent response to theefforts of all concerned.Strenuous efforts were madeduring the year to maintainthe number of beds for thecivilian sick when so manywere occupied by Service andair raid casualties’

The Royal Hospital.


47


Sheffield Children’s Hospital

The original premises for Sheffield’s Children’sHospital at Western Bank in 1880 were twoconverted semi-detached houses. Since thosedays the hospital has been regularly extendedand improved. In 1946, a grant of £5,000 wasmade to the hospital for the formation of a newTeaching Unit known as ‘The StephensonBlock’. Further to its development, a newoutpatient department opened in 1959 andtoday the hospital has more than 160 beds. In 1946, the funding towards the hospital wasdiscontinued. This pivotal moment wasrecorded in the twenty-fifth Annual Report.

Other Sheffield Hospitals

Other local hospitals within the Sheffield areaare: Lodge Moor, Nether Edge, NorthernGeneral and The Royal Hallamshire. Some ofthe hospitals are still in operation today,providing key services to the city of Sheffield.

Lodge Moor

Lodge Moor was originally built for thesmallpox epidemic of 1887, and wasconsidered by many as an isolation hospital. Infact, it housed a specialised spinal injuriesunit. A film service for patients was provided byWestfield and run on a voluntary basis. Thehospital was closed in 1981.

Nether Edge Hospital

Founded in 1842, originally named EcclesallBierlow Workhouse. The hospital originallystarted out as workhouses for the poor andsick, later developing as recognised hospitals.During the Second World War, part of NetherEdge was engulfed by flames during theSheffield Blitz. The hospital did not suffer anydamage, though the Ambulance Service wasunable to make the necessary calls to thearea. Nether Edge today serves mainly as anadministrative centre.

Information Handbook – Sheffield & District Convalescent &Hospitals Services Council.

The Children’s Hospital Annual Report from 1945.


Northern General

Similar to Lodge Moor, The Northern Generaloriginally started out as a workhouse for thepoor and sick. During the war years it wasnamed City General Hospital. The hospital isnow one of the region’s biggest,spanning over95 acres. It has over 1,100 beds and employsmore than 5,500 staff. The hospital houseshighly reputed geriatric and psychiatricfacilities and offers a wide range of specialistservices including orthopaedics, renal, heartand lung services and a state-of-the-art,purpose built spinal injuries unit.

Royal Hallamshire

Awarded the ‘Royal’ prefix in 1979 after theother two ‘Royals’ had closed. The Hallamshirewas conceived as a teaching hospital in 1938.The war delayed the project’s opening until1957. The hospital consists of three maininterlinked buildings, the most significantbeing the monolithic 21 storey concretestructure. The hospital can be seen from justabout anywhere in the city. The main buildingwas opened in 1979 by HRH Prince Charles,Prince of Wales. Today, the Hallamshire is one of Sheffield’s best known landmarks; it is a superb modern facility with more than700 beds.

The Hospitals’ Role in War Time

Twice in the twentieth century, the VoluntaryHospitals have helped the nation in a severecrisis. First it was in 1914-1918 (the FirstWorld War) and then in 1939 when the cloudsof war again began to gather over Europe. TheGovernment, with the object of providing anEmergency Medical Service to cope with theair raid casualties and the intake of woundedfrom the battlefronts, immediately consultedthe Voluntary Hospitals of Great Britain. Whenthe Second World War broke out, the structurehad already been agreed. The hospitalsreleased the necessary staff, doctors andnurses, technicians and administrators. Theyput x-ray, surgical and technical apparatus atthe disposal of other hospitals throughout the

country. Emergency hospitals were establishedin schools and elsewhere. Over and above this,Voluntary Hospitals reserved a proportion oftheir beds for the reception of air raid victims,transferred war workers or service casualties.During the war medical services were highlyorganised. In addition to the hospitals, therewere first-aid centres and mobile first-aidparties. Women played a large part in themedical services, including drivingambulances during the bombings.

The Hospitals and The NHS

After 5th July, 1948, the Voluntary Hospitalswere all combined under a Board ofGovernors, a teaching group known as theUnited Sheffield Hospitals. Many opposing theintroduction of the NHS felt that the blendingof the hospitals meant abandoning preciouslocal tradition and would lead to a lack of spiritand care for their Voluntary Hospitals.

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49




The Million Pound Appeal Fund was launchedin July, 1938, by the Duchess of Gloucesterunder the chairmanship of Mr. W. R. S.Stephenson, with the object of raising£1,000,000 to finance a new maternity block atthe Jessop Hospital for Women, an outpatientsdepartment and nurses home in the Children’sHospital, and the building of a completely newgeneral hospital on a site near to SheffieldUniversity. The new site was to enclose aRadium Centre, Cancer Research Laboratories,and a complete Orthopaedic Block.

The million pounds required was to be raisedby employers in Sheffield and district,contributing a third, another third fromemployees and others who joined the ‘Leagueof Hospital Builders’, and subscribed a pennyeach week for seven years, and the remainingthird from private subscriptions and legacies.

In July, 1938, the new nurses home opened atthe Jessop Hospital for Women and the newboiler house and laundry was completed and in use by October 1940. As a result of the war,the new maternity block was not opened forpatients until September 1943, and even thenthe exterior had a ‘war time’ finish only. In1940, the Jessop Hospital for Women reportedthat the combined appeal should continue,even though the main objectives of the Schemecould not proceed during the war.

In January, 1939, arrangements were madewith the Sheffield Hospitals Council toundertake the accountancy of the fund as wellas providing an office for it in their ownbuilding. On 6th September, 1939, theCommittee resolved to press forward with theAppeal in spite of the war situation created bythe war. They felt that the urgent character ofthe work, and the excellent response receivedwould justify their decision.

Between 100,000 and 200,000 subscribers gavea penny a week during the life of the Appealand employers gave very substantial aid. Inaddition, a gentleman named Alderman Gravesdonated £100,000 for the development of theRadium Centre. The amount raised by theappeal up to 31st December 1948, was£487,785 10s 4d. Although the million target wasnot reached, two thirds of it had been raised –an unbelievable achievement in war time.

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MILLION POUND APPEAL FUND

The Sheffield Voluntary Hospitals First Annual Report.


51


Each year saw the work of the Council grow asconditions permitted it to develop another ofits main objects, the co-ordination of policy ofthe four Voluntary Hospitals. AmbulanceTransport Service and Convalescent treatmentwere deemed the most important services.

The Ambulance Service

The Ambulance Service was inaugurated in 1924, it had 2 ambulances, both of whichwere loaned by the British Red Cross Society.The Council’s ambulances were used within a radius of 20 miles for admission, discharge and treatment cases attendingvoluntary hospitals in the city. It then becamepossible for the Ambulance Service to assumeresponsibility for the conveyance of patients toand from nursing homes in Sheffield and theimmediate district. The Council was anxiousthat contributors should receive the benefits of the Scheme in cases of illness or accidentaway from home, whether at work or onholiday, and agreements were made with other contributory schemes and hospitalsthroughout the country that any charges fortreatment or maintenance should be sent tothe Council instead of to the contributor.

As the Ambulance Service was progressing,arrangements were made with the Boards ofGuardians in Sheffield that cases unable toobtain admission to Voluntary Hospitals becauseof a shortage of accommodation should beallowed to occupy beds in the City General andNether Edge Hospitals. The importance of theagreement was confirmed when Sheffield wastargeted by German air raids in December1940.

In 1939, 38,411 patients were carried and191,788 miles were covered. When the Blitz hitSheffield, the Ambulance Service was putunder extreme pressure and many ambulanceswere sometimes unable to reach casualtiesdue to fires and building destruction. Theevacuation of patients from the four mainhospitals and the horrific affects of the airraids, increasingly taxed the service. Costs tomaintain the service considerably increased as

the war gathered momentum. In 1943, theService increased its miles per run, carrying46,078 patients over 212,914 miles.

Sadly in 1940 an ambulance was destroyed byenemy action and both the driver and attendantwere killed. It was reported that members ofthe Jewish Community in Sheffield made avery generous donation of £675 for thepurchase of an additional ambulance.

The Service was pivotal to the city during thewar years. Each year during 1939-1945 itcarried 309,997 patients to the nearestVoluntary Hospitals, a staggering total of1,523,665 miles!

WESTFIELD SERVICES

A Record of 1923.


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WESTFIELD HEALTH

Convalescent Fund

Convalescent – recovering from an illness ormedical treatment

In return for a contribution of only 1d a weekWestfield would provide a contributor with afortnight in a convalescent home. Thetreatment would include full maintenancecosts, rail fare and £1 per week pocket money.Westfield reserved several beds atconvalescent homes across the country andthe main homes used were at Southport,Woodhall Spa, Bridlington, Buxton, Harrogateand Mablethorpe. A large proportion ofpatients were sent out to George WoodfindinHome at Mablethorpe. From May to the end ofOctober, patients would be transported bycoach, starting in Barnsley and with furtherpick-ups at Sheffield and Rotherham beforeproceeding to Mablethorpe. A stop was madeat Market Rasen on the outward journey forlunch and on the return journey for tea.

To ensure that high standards ofaccommodation and service were beingmaintained, members and officials of theConvalescent Committee were sent to varioushomes to inspect their conditions. To make thepatients’ stay more comfortable the Councilprovided many amenities at the homesincluding billiard tables, television sets,reading materials and comfortable chairs andbeds. The Council also purchased crutchesand sick room equipment for hire tocontributors. Grants were also made to localhospitals towards the purchase of surgicalappliances.

In 1939, the Convalescent Fund Committeereported that the number of persons receivingconvalescent treatment had decreasedcompared with the previous year, principallydue to the outbreak of war. During the waryears the number of patients receiving theconvalescent fund dropped from 1,694 patientsin 1939 to 1,266 in 1945. The ConvalescentFund did continue its service during the waryears and even survived after the introductionof the NHS. In 1949, one penny per week wouldstill provide a contributor with a fortnight in aconvalescent home.


Information Handbook – Sheffield & District Convalescent& Hospitals Services Council.



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A Record of 1923.


Travelling Expenses

Westfield provided contributors and theirfamilies with travel expenses for thoseresidents who lived outside the city boundary.These payments were made to those travellingto outpatient departments at the VoluntaryHospitals and the Edgar Allen Institute. Thecontributor would receive a travel voucher, butthey were only issued to patients who were inneed of assistance according to the rules andregulations governing the vouchers. During thewar years, the service still continued tooperate efficiently and effectively.

In 1944, £1,155 (19s 9d) was paid towards thecost of travelling expenses of contributors andtheir families. This highest number ofexpenses was paid during 1939-1945. Thelowest amount paid out was in 1941, with only£939 (12s 2d).

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Total Amount Paid to Contributors for Travelling Costs between1939-1945


1939 £1,126 (16s 4d)

1940 £1,002 (5s 0d)

1941 £939 (12s 2d)

1942 £1,040 (14s 8d)

1943 £1,003 (12s 2d)

1944 £1,155 (19s 9d)

1945 £1,034 (1s 1d)

A Record of 1923.


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Christmas Time 1939-1945

When World War Two broke out in September1939, it was not uncommon in Britain to hearthe remark, ‘It’ll all be over by Christmas!’ –just as people had said that World War Onewould be over by Christmas 1914. Unknown tothe people of Sheffield at this time, therewould be five Christmasses before May 1945,when this war would be ‘all over’.

In 1925, contributors were invited to donate toa specific fund where the total amount wouldbe used for providing gifts to patients andnurses in Voluntary Hospitals at Christmas. On each Christmas morning, individual giftswere provided for patients and full-timenursing staff. This exceptional service requiredthe purchase, packing and distribution ofnearly 9,000 gifts annually. Each year, SheffieldRotary Club and local volunteers contributed tothe packing and distribution of all Christmasgifts, without this voluntary help it would nothave been possible to carry out what wasrecognised as an extremely important part of

the Hospital Service. The packing andpurchasing of 9,000 gifts is no light task andthe cost of the presents alone was in theregion of £5,000.

In 1939, Sheffield Rotary Club kindly agreed to deliver and distribute Christmas gifts to allpatients and nurses in our hospitals. OnChristmas morning over 2,472 parcels werehanded out.

Christmas gifts to hospital patients inDecember 1940 presented unusual difficultiesbecause due to the air raids. Sadly, all booksand large toys were destroyed and thepremises of many of the Rotary Club memberssuffered considerable damage, it meant thatRotarians were unable to arrange for thepacking and transport. Fortunately the bookswere obtained from another source andmembers of the Hospital Council staff and onemember of the Rotary Club packed up theparcels in the Nurses’ Recreation Room at theSheffield



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A record of 1923.


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Royal Infirmary on Saturday afternoon andSunday 21st and 22nd December. Fivemembers of the Rotary Club acted as FatherChristmas on Christmas morning.

The year 1968 saw the end of the Christmaspresents delivery system. It was replaced withcash grants to full-time nurses, groupsecretaries and matrons. The cash grants

could be used at Christmas for gifts forpatients to provide seaside holiday orrecreational accommodation. Even whenSheffield encountered the Blitz in December1940, Westfield still managed to deliverChristmas presents and treats for patients.



Easter Egg Delivery 1939-1945

As well as delivering Christmas gifts each year,the Council also distributed Easter eggs topatients in Sheffield Voluntary Hospitals. TheCouncil worked directly with Lady Harewood’sCommittee in the delivery of the Easter eggs.Each year Westfield donated money for the egg collection to go ahead even during the war years.

The Council and the Rotary Club workedclosely together each year to make sure thatboth Christmas gifts and Easter eggs weredelivered to patients all through the war years.In particular in 1940, when Sheffield wentthrough the first of the air raid attacks, theSheffield Council made sure that the eggcollection was successful.

‘The date of the collectionhas been fixed for MondayApril 28th, and in view of theunprecedented situation it ishoped that everyone willmake a special effort toensure that the collection isas successful as possible.The eggs will be doublywelcome this year’


Until the introduction of rationing in 1940, acollection of eggs was made each spring anddistributed to the hospitals, providing avaluable addition to their stores. Donors alsoprovided cash directly, which in 1941 aloneenabled the Council to purchase 16,607additional eggs.

The Hospital Cinema Service

Sheffield Hospitals Council went on tointroduce the Hospital Cinema Service, in 1951to provide patients at many city hospitals withthis popular form of entertainment. Theservice covered over 20 different hospitals andgave an average 26 shows a week or 1,350 ayear. Each show consisted of a full-lengthfeature film, a current newsreel and one or twoshorts. The average attendance at the showswas just over 20 but sometimes a show wasgiven for as few as 2 patients. An average of300 shows a year were also given in theBarnsley Hospital district. The total cost of theservice was about £4,500 a year including thehire of films, travelling expenses and themaintenance and replacement of equipment.

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Other Amenities

As well as the regular services, the Councilreceived frequent requests from hospitalauthorities for the provision of additionalamenities, they were unable to provide through the NHS. All such requests weresympathetically considered and dealt with,having regard to their relative urgency and the availability of funds. The range ofitems provided was very wide. Items such astelevision sets (over 200 provided since 1948),radio sets, library books, toys and games,garden seats, flower vases and musicequipment.




Who were our leaders guiding Westfieldthrough the war years?

Presidents The Lord Mayors of Sheffield

Chairmen Sir W. Henry Hadow, M.A.,C.B.E., J.P., Vice Chancellor;University of Sheffield(1919-1930)

The Rt. Rev. Leonard HedleyBurrows, D.D., Lord Bishopof Sheffield (1930-1939)

The Rt. Rev. Leslie StannardHunter, D.C.L. Lord Bishopof Sheffield (1940-1949)

Deputy Chairman Mr. F. M. Osborn (1922-1949)

Secretaries Mr. C. R. Crabtree (1926-1949)

Mr. Fred M. Osborn

Joined the Board in October 1912 and was latermade Deputy Chairman in 1922. Osborn, alongwith The Rt. Rev. Dr. Leslie Stannard Hunter,led the Sheffield Hospitals Council during thewar years. Osborn took a deep interest in thework of hospitals and the hospital movementin Sheffield and its surrounding districts. Hewas very prominent in the formation of theHospitals Council of which he was ViceChairman. Osborn actually coined the famousphrase the “1d in the £”. Osborn also tookgreat interest in local charitable work. In 1932,he threw his great energies and ability intoraising £100,000 for a new x-ray Departmentat the Royal Hospital. He also campaigned forbetter living accommodation for nurses.Osborn’s efforts proved visible by theestablishment of The Miners’ Welfare Block,The Zachary Merton Convalescent Home andThe Nurses Home Tapton Court. Between 1932and 1939 Osborn had single handedly raised£80,258 (18s 3d) in 1932 to an astonishing£207,438 (19s 2d) in 1939. All monies wentsolely on the development and improvement ofthe Voluntary Hospitals and for hospital staffand patients.

Sadly in 1949, Osborn asked the Board for hisresignation as he felt that his health wouldprevent him from satisfactorily fulfilling theduties of both offices. The Board accepted hisresignation with the most profound andsincere regret. Osborn was succeeded by

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KEY WESTFIELD FIGURES 1939-1945

Sir W. Henry Hadow. The Rt. Rev. Leonard Hedley Burrows. The Rt. Rev. Leslie Stannard Hunter.


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Mr. P. Malby (1950-1959) the following year.

The Three Chairmen

Sir W. Henry Hadow, M.A., C.B.E., J.P. Vice Chancellor; University of Sheffield1919-1930

The Rt. Rev. Leonard Hedley Burrows, D.D. Lord Bishop of Sheffield1930-1939

The Rt. Rev. Leslie Stannard Hunter, D.C.L.Lord Bishop of Sheffield1940-1949

Upon completing his term of office as ViceChancellor of Sheffield University in 1930, SirHenry Hadow retired from the Chairmanship ofthe Council in 1930. He had directed its affairswith outstanding success through its mostdifficult years and was able to lay down thereins of office in the knowledge that it wasfirmly established. His colleagues felt thatthere must be suitable recognition of his greatservice. At a memorable meeting in June 1930,Mr. Fred M. Osborn presented Sir Henry with apair of old Sheffield plate candlesticks and analbum with the names of the Council andExecutive Committee.

Sir Henry was followed as chairman byanother vigorous personality who had longbeen associated with the hospital movement –Dr. Hedley Burrows, Bishop of Sheffield. In his

case, too, it was only retirement from office in1939, and departure from the city that causedhim to relinquish his association with theCouncil.

He was succeeded in the following year by theBishop of Sheffield, Rt. Rev. Dr. Leslie Hunter.Hunter guided the Council through the anxiousyears of war to its establishment on the newbasis dictated by the operation of the NationalService Act of 1946.

Charles Gall

Westfield owes its success to the energy anddedication of countless individuals but there isone man whose achievements occupy a specialplace in our history. His name was CharlesGall. For more than 12 years he stood outsidelabour exchanges in Sheffield with hiscollection box, collecting pennies from theunemployed who had just received their dolemoney. The unemployed were able to receivethe same benefits, such as free hospitaltreatment, as those who had jobs. In allweathers, week after week, he was therededicating himself to the Scheme. Unemployedhimself, he plunged whole heartedly into thehospital movement to keep his mind active andthe community of Sheffield together as it facedthe dark era of the Second World War. CharlesGall became celebrated for his cheery mannerand his home made posters and placards,which he always carried around with him.

Mr C. R.C. Crabtree. Mr Fred Osborn. Mr Percy Malby.


Between 1933 and 1947 Charles Gallpersonally collected more than 400,000pennies for the Sheffield Hospital Council. In1933, Gall famously collected a penny from theDuke of Windsor. During a state visit toSheffield, the Duke came across theenthusiastic Gall and was happy to make acontribution to the fund.

Charles Gall was one of life’s great charactersand he is fondly remembered even today. Histireless work and drive has helped lay thefoundations for the future success of Westfield.

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One of Charles Galls} celebrated handwritten posters.

Charles Gall.


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Blitz: the German word for lighting.

When war was declared on 3rd September1939, the people of Sheffield entered a periodwhich was to leave few lives untouched. In thecity almost overnight, war brought changes toall aspects of day-to-day living. Sheffield wasregarded as one of the most vulnerable areasin Britain because it was liable for a Germanattack.

The Sheffield Blitz took place over three nights– 12th, 13th and 15th December 1940 as theGermans dropped nearly 450 high explosivebombs, land mines and incendiaries. In totalover 693 lives were lost, 1,500 were injured,40,000 were made homeless and 3,000 homeswere demolished with a further 3,000 badlydamaged. A total of 78,000 homes suffereddamage.

The modern world is still living with theconsequences of the Second World War, themost titanic conflict in history. Just over 69

SHEFFIELD AT WAR – THE SHEFFIELD BLITZ

years ago on 1st September 1939, Germanyinvaded Poland without warning. By theevening of 3rd September, Britain and Francewere at war with Germany and within a week,Australia, New Zealand, Canada and SouthAfrica had also joined in. The world had beenplunged into its second world war in 25 years.Six long and bloody years of total war, foughtover many thousands of square kilometres.From the hedgerows of Normandy to thestreets of Stalingrad, the chamber camps inAuschwitz, to the coral reefed islands of PearlHarbour and the local streets of Sheffield, itinvolved every major world power in a strugglefor global domination. At its end, more than 60million people had lost their lives and most ofEurope and large parts of Asia lay in ruins.

The collective nature of the war effort was heldto have produced profound social change: pre-war divisions of class, wealth, status andpower were set aside in favour of a new socialcohesion which developed from the common

Fitzwilliam Street, showing air raid damage with Royal Hospital in the background.


experience of war and the shared aim ofdefeating the enemy. As the British faced theinvasion scare of 1940, the Luftwaffe attackedurban centres and the nation prepared for thelong hard struggle on the road to victory, richand poor, male and female, majorities andminorities alike submerged their differencesand stood united as one.

Throughout the 1930s Sheffield’s world famous steel industry had been struggling. In the grip of recession, jobs and pay were indecline. The country’s rearmament in the buildup to the war and the constant demand forreinforcements meant the Steel City couldstoke the furnaces once more.

As a major producer of armaments in thenineteenth and twentieth centuries, Sheffieldhas had a continuous involvement with war.Munitions, aircraft parts and armour plateswere all produced in Sheffield factories. The‘Steel City’ was a vital cog in the Allied wareffort and the city’s vast industrial sectorteemed with factories. The immense steelindustry, churning out everything from

bayonets to tank armour, with the surroundingcoal mines feeding the factories, madeSheffield an obvious target for enemy air raids.The bombing of Sheffield by the German AirForce was tactically inevitable. Steelworksbegan running at full capacity making allimaginable tools of war and Sheffield’scontribution to the armament of the Britishforces was massive. Over 693 fatalitiesresulted from the air raids on the city.

Sheffield Blitz

The Sheffield Blitz is the name given to theworst nights of bombing in Sheffield during theSecond World War. It took place on 12th and13th December 1940. In 1940, Sheffield was acity of about 560,000 people and containedmany heavy industries, primarily centred onsteel and armaments.

The first major raid on Sheffield came on 12thDecember 1940, a clear night, two nights awayfrom a full moon, and with a crisp frostreflected in the moonlight. Sheffield,codenamed ‘Schmelztiegel’ (Crucible) by theGermans, was the target that night and 406aircraft were allocated for the raid, 336 laterclaimed to have bombed the city. At 7.00pm thefirst sirens were heard around the city, and thefirst aircraft flew in from the south, coming upthe Sheaf Valley. Soon fires were burning atAbbeydale, Brincliffe Edge, Moorhead, GlossopRoad and Park Hill. Effectively, the pathfindershad created a ring of fire with the city centre inthe middle. The fire services found it extremelydifficult to fight the fires.

There was little that hospitals could do duringthe raid because it was difficult for casualtiesto reach them. The hospitals were, however,affected themselves. In addition to the damageand casualties at Nether Edge, the JessopHospital for Women was hit and wasevacuated. The Royal Hospital in West Streetwas also affected by blast.

The morning of 13th December brought aclearer picture of the devastation. Much of thecity centre and surrounding areas weredestroyed. Many people were trapped inwrecked buildings. Clearing the rubble awaytook time and there were delays in briefing

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Sheffield High Street, before and after the Blitz.


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earth moving equipment to the city. It tooknearly 12 days to clear the Marples Hotel,following its direct hit. Much of the city waswithout gas and about 50 per cent of homeshad no electricity. Communications wereseverely disrupted, such as trams and busroutes. Occasionally rescue work andunexploded bombs, many with time-delayfuses, hampered clearing up.

On the first night of the Blitz bombs fell on thecity centre rather on the industrial east end. Onthe night of 12th December, the first bombs fellabout 7pm and the last bomb fell at 4am.

The Marples Tragedy – 1940

On 12th and 13th December 1940, Sheffieldwas hit with two air raids. A single bomb killedat least 70 people, many of whom weresheltering in the cellars of the Marples Hotelin Fitzalan Square. After incendiary bombing,

numerous fires broke out in the surroundingstreets. At 11.44pm the Marples Hotel took adirect hit. The bomb ploughed through theupper floors of the building, only detonating on floor level impact right above the cellars. 70 people were killed in the Marples Hotel and sadly some were never found.

Operation Crucible

At the beginning of September 1940, Germanair power was redeployed on a new mission.The alternative plan became known as theBlitz, and consisted of the systematic bombingof British cities, particularly industrial centreslike Sheffield, and busy shipping ports likeLiverpool. Cities such as Coventry,Southampton, Birmingham and Bristol had allbeen hit with single target raids at intervals ofabout a week. The people of Sheffield expectedtheir fate, but couldn’t know when it wouldbefall them.

The Marples Hotel , the morning after the Blitz, 13th December 1940.


The attack on Sheffield was code namedCrucible by the Germans. The Germans’ mainintention was to destroy the factories along theDon Valley. However, because of low cloud andpoor weather conditions, the Germans begandropping bombs all across the city. At 7pm thefirst sirens began to sound, though by 9pmhigh explosives had been dropped and flamesengulfed the city. At 10.50pm a 500kg bomb fellon the C&A department store completelylevelling the building. When the fires werefinally extinguished there were scenes ofdevastation everywhere. Department stores,homes, schools, cinemas, and concert hallsand even Sheffield United’s, Bramall Lanefootball stadium was badly damaged. Thesteelworks were, however, largely untouched.Bombing on the last night hit some targets onthe Industrial East but Sheffield’s industryescaped relatively unscathed.

The Germans flew by a beam, an early kind ofradar. This was fixed on a point and then theGerman bombers flew down the beam to theirtarget. Interception of enemy radio beamsindicated that Sheffield was the objective.However, the British had found a way to bendthis beam instead of the point the Germanshad chosen, which was the Duke of Wellingtonpub on Carlisle Street, the bombers flewstraight to the city centre instead. This savedthe steel works and the industrial armamentfactories, but it instead threw the city centreinto chaos and killed many people.

Sunday 15th December 1940

The target for the second December raid wasthe industrial east end, which had escaped thefirst attack. 135 aircraft were sent to bombSheffield, but with deteriorating visibility andthe risk of fog at their bases, some weredelivered to less distant targets.

The task of clearing up continued. Damage hadbeen caused to 82,413 of the city’s 150,449houses and shops and some were beyondrepair. Some of this damage was relativelyminor (broken windows, damaged rooves) but,because of the number of repairs needed andthe shortage of materials, it took many monthsto restore houses. Many areas were withoutgas and water for weeks, with gas not beingfully restored until 29th January 1941. Cold anddraughty houses, coupled with the bitter winterof 1941, made living conditions very unpleasantand undoubtedly led to a number of prematuredeaths, particularly among the elderly.

Sheffield’s experience of war in 1939-1945went, of course, far beyond the experience ofair raids. Labour was mobilised to a massivedegree and war work in steelmaking,munitions and engineering involvedconsiderable numbers of women. The intensityof the Blitz brought the experience of war toSheffield’s doorsteps. A combined total forboth raids was 693 killed. These totals excludeservicemen killed in the raid.

In true Westfield spirit the Scheme stillcontinued to operate during this difficult time.The commitment and drive to continue theexceptional service to the people of Sheffieldduring the war years must never be forgotten.It speaks volumes about an organisation whenit still continues to provide its services to theVoluntary Hospitals and to its contributorseven through the devastation of the SheffieldBlitz. We as present employees must respectour past colleagues and recognise the workthey continued to deliver during what was auncertain and difficult period of time.

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Sheffield High Street.


WESTFIELD HEALTH – TIMELINE

67

Westfield starts life in rented, Victorian officesin Church Street, Sheffield on 3rd July, 1919,as the Sheffield Consultative and AdvisoryHospitals Council, later to become theSheffield Hospitals Council. It has grown and developed to become one of the leading health insurance providers in the country.


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1920s

1921 Fred Osborn, a Council Member, cameup with a great idea to beat the financialcrisis – a “Penny in the Pound Scheme”.Its simple aim was to give workingpeople free hospital treatment in returnfor a weekly contribution of a penny ineach pound earned. Employers addeda third of the sum raised.

1922 Mr. C. R. Crabtree joined the Council asa cashier. He later became CompanySecretary during the Second World War.

1925 Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress helpedthe Joint Hospital Council distributeover 1,200 Christmas gifts to childrenin Sheffield’s local hospitals. Allcourtesy of Westfield.

1930s

1930 Sheffield Hospitals Council wasallocated £500 from the gate receiptsof the FA Charity Shield match betweenArsenal and Sheffield Wednesday.

1938 The Million Pounds Appeal is createdin July 1938. The Appeal’s objectivewas to raise one million pounds forthe development of variousdepartments and buildings for the four Voluntary Hospitals. In 1948 the appeal was discontinued.

1939 3rd September – Britain declares waron Germany following Hitler’s invasionof Poland on 1st September.

1939 The Council continues to operate inservice during the war years. Evenduring the slump of the 1930s and theoutbreak of the Second World War,contributions totalled more than£100,000 per year.

1940s

1940 Rationing begins in Britain. Inpreparation, the Council purchase anadditional 16,000 eggs for the Easteregg delivery for patients in theVoluntary Hospitals.

1940 9th October, Winston Churchillbecomes Prime Minister of Britain

1940 12th, 13th and 15th December – TheSheffield Blitz. German aircraft dropover 450 high explosives bombs, landmines and incendiaries on the city.During these air raids 693 lives werelost, 1,500 were injured, 40,000 weremade homeless and 3,000 homeswere demolished with a further 3,000badly damaged. A total of 78,000homes suffered damage.

1941 Rotherham Contributory Scheme wasformed.

1942 In April 1942, after protractednegotiations, an agreement wasentered into with Beckett Hospital,Barnsley, for the extension of the “1din the £” Scheme into the Barnsley area.

1945 7th May Germany surrendersunconditionally to the Allies in Rheims,France at 1.41am.

1945 9th May, Adolph Hitler commits suicide.

1945 The Allies form the United Nations,which officially came into existence on24th October 1945.

1946 A grant of £5,000 was made to theChildren’s Hospital for the erection ofa new Teaching Unit known as ‘TheStephenson Block’.


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1946 The disablement of the “1d in the £”Scheme.

1947 Charles Gall established a specialplace in Westfield’s history by regularlystanding for 24 years outside the city’slabour exchanges collectingthousands of pounds for the SheffieldHospitals Council.

1948 5th July, the introduction of the NationalHealth Service and free hospitaltreatment. At this stage much of theCouncil’s work is renderedunnecessary. It continues to stay inbusiness by using subscriptions fromindividuals to provide places inconvalescent homes for recuperationafter illness or hospital treatment.

1950s

1950 In March, Sheffield Hospitals CouncilChairman, Dr. J. Clark presentsSheffield School of Nursing with agrand piano.

1951 Westfield introduced the CinemaService. Each show consists of a full-length feature film, the currentnewsreel and one or two ‘shorts’. Men and women who give theirservices voluntarily project the films.Between 1951-1957 7,000 films wereshown to 175,000 patients.

1956 An extended scheme of generalbenefits was introduced, the forerunnerof Westfield’s schemes of today.

1959 There were 34,400 contributors in the Scheme and income for the yeartotalled over £74,000.

1960s

1963 Benefits wereavailable tocontributors for 6d per weekand the range of benefitsincludedhospitalisation,spectacles,dentures andspecialist fees.

Grants forspectacles,dentures andsurgicalapplianceswere available to contributors forsix pence (6d) per week.

1967 The Sheffield Hospitals Councilrecorded its 100,000th schemecontributor.

Collection of front covers of 1960s Annual Reports.

Peace of mind 6d a week.


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1970s

1973 On 7th April, the Council moves into its purpose built offices – WestfieldHouse in Division Street, Sheffield.

Official opening of Westfield House,7th April 1973


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1974 The Council changes its name toWestfield Contributory HealthScheme.

1974 More than 64,000 members claimed atotal of £734,000 under Westfield’s 10pa week scheme.

1976 For the first time the Scheme paid outover one million pounds in benefits.


The Westfield building


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1980s

1985 Graham Moore joined Westfield Healthas Chief Executive.

1987 The introduction of the 45p, 85p and£1.30 schemes.

1989 The Berlin Wall was demolished,unifying East and West Germany. The Wall was erected following the Second World War.

1990s

1991 The introduction of the Super GoldScheme. £2 per week would offer acomprehensive range of 15 differentbenefits, including complementarytreatments, personal accident andaccidental death benefit.

1994 Jill Davies joined Westfield as SalesExecutive West Midlands.

1994 Westfield celebrate 75 years in service.

1997 Westfield donate over £231,000 to localhospitals and charities. Donationsinclude a £25,000 ultra sound scannerfor Nottingham City Hospital and£65,000 for a mobile classroom atSheffield Life Education Trust.

1998 National Health Service is 50 years old.


Mr Graham Moore.

Mrs Jill Davies.


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2009 – The Future

Westfield Health has come a long way since itsinception in 1919 when its doors first opened.The Scheme is now one of the most successfuland secure health care insurers in the UK withalmost 90 years’ experience and more than athird of a million policyholders enjoying coverwith us. Westfield is a not for profit organisationthat is dedicated and proud of our contributors,our staff, our history and our future.

In July 2008, Mr. Graham Moore stepped downfrom his full-time duties as Chief Executive;his replacement was Jill Davies.

In 2009, Westfield will be uniting together tocelebrate its 90th year in business and we willalso be marking the 70th anniversary of theSecond World War.


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References/BibliographyBEVERIDGE, W. Social Insurance and Allied Services (November1942), London.

COLE, G. D. H. Beveridge Explained. (1942), London

DAVISON, R. A plain account of the Beveridge Plan, Insurance forall Everything. (1943), London.

DAWKINS, V. A study of the development of Hospital ContributorySchemes in England & Wales (1982) British HospitalsContributory Schemes Association (1948)

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THE HISTORY OFWESTFIELD HEALTH THROUGH THE WAR YEARS 1939-1945LOUISE PEARSON

9 780901 100801

ISBN 978-0-901100-80-1

J29613_Westfield Cover 30/6/09 15:22 Page 1

the history of westfield health through the war years 1939 … · through the war years 1939-1945 1...

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