A committee was appointed in April 1854, to investigate a number of complaints made by paupers. The committee obtained evidence of a number of assaults and harsh treatment had occurred on the workhouse hospital ward. They found complete silence was expected at meal times and after lights out, If paupers broke these rules they were only given bread and water the next day for their main meal. Some paupers were also placed in a room for long periods of solitary confinement, sometimes without food. Tobacco and spirits and newspapers and books were also banned on all workhouse wards. Also extra food and drinks like sugar and ale which had been ordered to build up the sick patients were missing, this extra food was ordered as for some sick patients it was found medicine alone was not effective.
The Poor Law Inspector, Mr. Farnall made a visit to the workhouse and his findings were published in the Sheffield and Rotherham newspapers in June 1853. He found the number of inmates using the hospital were often so low, that it was thought to be unnecessary to have a paid nurse. Other paupers nursed patients on the hospital ward. During The Poor Law Inspectors' visit to the workhouse Mr. Farnall found one of the paupers helping in the hospital had just been released from the workhouse lunatic ward and he found her to be a very unstable character. There was no paid nurse in the workhouse reported Mr. Farnall, and if there was, not only could she check the other officers, but also upon the paupers as their conduct towards each other at times was exceedingly bad.
By the 12th June 1854 the first paid nurse was to take charge of the sick and infirm she would report back to the Medical Officer of Health. She was employed on an annual salary of £12 and had one day off fortnightly. Little is known about her although it was known that around this time nurses were often illiterate and drunkenness and petty theft was common. Nurses in the workhouses were also given gin, daily, as part of there working allowance.
© Neil and Janet Croft 2005