2 April 1948

Voluntary hospitals may disappear, but the 'voluntary spirit' must live on, writes health minister Aneurin Bevan in a foreword to the latest edition of the British Hospitals Association's annual yearbook. . . 'A new freedom will emerge with the end of the hospitals' dependence on voluntary financial support. By planning the services over wide areas, a new impetus will be given towards making the best use possible of the available resources in staff and accommodation, a new opportunity will arise for every hospital in the country to play a full and fruitful part as colleagues in a common enterprise'. . . Administration of the new national hospital service is the yearbook's main subject. Editor JB Wetenhall BA stresses the role of hospital management committees, but suggests they devolve responsibility to individual house committees for the management of their hospitals, while keeping control of policy and co-ordinating inter-working of hospitals within the group.