Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 The Story of Nursing in British Mental Hospitals From their beginnings as the asylum attendants of the nineteenth century, mental health nurses have come a long way. This is the first comprehensive history of mental health nursing in Britain in over twenty years, and during this period the landscape has transformed as the large institutions have been replaced by services in the community. McCrae and Nolan examine how the role of mental health nursing has evolved in a social and professional context, brought to life by an abundance of anecdotal accounts. The nine chronologically ordered chapters follow the development from untrained attendants in the pauper lunatic asylums to the professionally qualified nurses of the twentieth century, and, finally, consider the rundown and closure of the mental hospitals from nurses’ perspectives. Throughout, the argument is made that while the training, organisation and environment of mental health nursing has changed, the aim has remained essentially the same: to nurture a therapeutic relationship with people in distress. McCrae and Nolan look forward as well as back, and highlight significant messages for the future of mental health care. For mental health nursing to be meaningfully directed, we must first understand the place from which this field has developed. This scholarly but accessible book is aimed at anyone with an interest in mental health or social history, and will also act as a useful resource for policy- makers, managers and mental health workers. Niall McCrae is a lecturer in mental health nursing at Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, King’s College London. As well as the history of mental health care, his research interests include the therapeutic role of the nurse, and evaluation of training and treatment innovations in psychiatric services. His previous book, The Moon and Madness, examining the legendary notion of lunar influence on behaviour, featured on the BBC radio series, All in the Mind. Peter Nolan has worked for over fifty years in various capacities within mental health services, both in the UK and abroad. The focus of much of his research has been on how service users make sense of mental health services and the Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 degree of understanding they bring to what is being provided. Though now retired, he continues to write about how and whether people with mental health problems benefit from interventions, how nurses interpret what they do and the likely changes that services will undergo in the future. He has a long-term interest in the evolution of psychiatric ideas and practices and the various factors that influence them. This book, he believes, is important in enabling the voices of the predecessors of mental health nurses to be heard, voices that for too long have been silent. Routledge Key Themes in Health and Society Available titles include: Forthcoming titles include: Turning Troubles into Problems Social Theory and Nursing Clientization in human services Edited by Martin Lipscomb Edited by Jaber F. Gubrium and Margaretha Järvinen Identity, Ageing and Cultural Adaptation Compassionate Communities Understanding longevity in Case studies from Britain and Europe crossdisciplinary perspective Edited by Klaus Wegleitner, Katharina Simon Biggs Heimerl & Allan Kellehear Exploring Evidence-based Practice Debates and challenges in nursing Edited by Martin Lipscomb On the Politics of Ignorance in Nursing and Healthcare Knowing ignorance Amélie Perron and Trudy Rudge Living with Mental Disorder Insights from qualitative research Jacqueline Corcoran Empowerment Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 A critique Kenneth McLaughlin The Story of Nursing in British Mental Hospitals Echoes from the corridors Niall McCrae and Peter Nolan The Story of Nursing in British Mental Hospitals Echoes from the corridors Niall McCrae and Peter Nolan Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 First published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 N. McCrae and P. Nolan The right of Niall McCrae and Peter Nolan to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McCrae, Niall, author. The story of nursing in British mental hospitals : echoes from the corridors / Niall McCrae and Peter Nolan. p. ; cm. – (Routledge key themes in health and society) Includes bibliographical references and index. I. Nolan, Peter, 1942– , author. II. Title. III. Series: Routledge key themes in health and society. [DNLM: 1. Psychiatric Nursing – history – Great Britain. 2. Deinstitutionalization – history – Great Britain. 3. History, 19th Century – Great Britain. 4. History, 20th Century – Great Britain. 5. Hospitals, Psychiatric – history – Great Britain. WY 11 FA1] RC450.G7 362.2’10941-dc23 2015034994 ISBN: 978-0-415-73895-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-81702-6 (ebk) Typeset in Baskerville by HWA Text and Data Management, London Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 ‘Niall McCrae and Peter Nolan have considerable expertise in the history of mental health services. The “readability” of their book is one of its most pleasing features and the authors have the skill of making the complex simple and fascinating. This book, while of interest to mental health nurses, should be required reading for all members of the multi-professional mental healthcare team. Entering the mental health professions today without knowing their histories would be like starting a journey without a map. This book is one of the best maps of the historical terrain that I have come across.’ – Hugh McKenna, Professor, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) University of Ulster, UK ‘At last, due credit to nurses who devoted their careers to the vulnerable in an impoverished yet caring environment: good work was done.’ – Jo Brand, comedian and former psychiatric nurse ‘A thought provoking and comprehensive history of mental health nursing based on a rich variety of sources, this is a detailed, far ranging and accessible overview. McCrae and Nolan have produced what should become the seminal work on the history of British mental health nursing.’ – Claire Chatterton, Chair, RCN History of Nursing Society, UK Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 This page intentionally left blank Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 Contents List of illustrations vii List of tables ix Preface x Acknowledgements xv 1 The pauper palace and its servants 1 2 Professionalisation, or organised labour 43 3 Shocks to the system 76 4 Interregnum 113 5 A new dawn 138 6 Time is called 163 7 Irish days, Mauritian nights 207 8 Holding the fort 227 9 End of the asylum 257 Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 Appendix: mental hospitals in Great Britain 287 References 296 Index 313 Illustrations Figures 0.1 A portrait of Peter Nolan, drawn by a West Park patient in 1973 xi 1.1 Diet table at Nottingham Asylum, 1874 35 2.1 The Epsom Cluster 47 2.2 An edition of Asylum News 54 3.1 Advertisement for nurses, Graylingwell 93 Plates 1 Built to last: Sussex Asylum, Hayward’s Heath 130 2 Chapel, Sussex Asylum 130 3 Attendants at Littlemore Mental Hospital (1930s) 131 4 Nurse’s badge, Severalls (1930s) 131 5 Insulin coma therapy at Graylingwell (1950s) 132 6 Student nurse Brenda Billings receives award at Graylingwell (c1960) 132 7 An institutional childhood: psychiatrist’s daughter (and future nurse) Fiona Couper at Digby Hospital, Exeter (1960) 133 8 Chief male nurse Ronnie Newman (retired) at Roundway Hospital, Wiltshire (1995) 133 9 Tom Chan at Christmas meal for single foreign nurses, Park Prewett (1967) 134 10 Peter Robinson, student nurse at Cane Hill (1967) 134 11 Actress Prunella Scales at Netherne summer fête (1967) 135 Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 12 Miss Netherne 1974: Spanish nursing assistant Carmen Otega 135 13 London mental hospitals football league match at Netherne (1970s) 136 14 Graylingwell cricket team (1980s): nurse John Pay holding trophy 136 15 Ian Norman (with long hair) and colleagues at Phoenix House, Long Grove (1974) 137 16 Senior nursing officer and nurses celebrating patient’s 104th birthday party at Netherne (1970s) 137 Tables 1.1 County asylums, 1844 13 1.2 Size of county and borough asylums 29 3.1 Forces for and against change 108 5.1 Male and female population at Rubery Hill and Hollymoor, 1954 142 6.1 Admissions, discharges and deaths in 1966 at selected mental hospitals 173 6.2 Staff nurses and charge nurses in mental hospitals (1964) 181 6.3 Full-time psychiatric nursing workforce 197 6.4 Full-time qualified nursing workforce 197 8.1 Mental hospitals in England with over 1,500 beds (1975) 228 Downloaded by [New York University] at 12:59 29 November 2016 Preface History has, among its many purposes, that of exploring and explaining how the past has shaped the present.