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Bangour (EMS) Surgical Neurology Case Notes, 1940-1970

 Series
Identifier: LHB40 CC/2

Scope and Contents

These case notes are housed in 38 boxes. Serving soldiers, sailors and airmen were treated at Bangour during the war, along with civilian patients and personnel from the auxiliary services, such as the Auxiliary Territorial Services (A.T.S) and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (W.A.A.F). Polish servicemen and German prisoners of war are also represented in these records as the war draws to its close. Whilst many accidents incurred by servicemen at the start of the war occurred in nearby camps, Dott's teams began to see more injuries resulting from action abroad as the war went on. Each case was originally housed in a dedicated folder, an order which has been followed in the preservation of the case notes. The majority of cases in this series are represented in typed case summaries of similar structure. Although there are some 'fat' files, many cases are short in length. Orange stickers on case note housing indicate the presence of photographs, whilst x-ray films have been separated from those folders carrying a green, red or blue sticker. Other record types present in this series include charts, reports and correspondence. Please note that these cases may contain photographs taken at post-mortem examination.

Dates

  • Creation: 1940-1970

Language of Materials

English

Physical Description

genreform: Paper, black-and-white photographs, glass plate negatives and x-ray film

Conditions Governing Access

Public access to these records is governed by UK data protection legislation, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, and the current Scottish Government Records Management: NHS Code of Practice (Scotland). Whilst some records may be accessed freely by researchers, the aforementioned legislation and guidelines mean that records conveying sensitive information on named individuals may be closed to the public for a set time. Where records relate to named deceased adults, they will be open 75 years after the latest date referenced in the record, on the next 1 January. Case records of individuals below 18 years of age or adults not proven to be deceased will be open 100 years after the latest date recorded in the record, on the next 1 January. Further information on legislation and guidelines covering medical records can be found on the LHSA webpage.

LHSA encourages the use of these records for legitimate clinical, historical and genealogical research purposes, and records that are designated as closed can be consulted by legitimate researchers if certain conditions are met. Please contact the LHSA Archivist for more details regarding procedures on how you can apply for permission to view closed records. Telephone us on: 0131 650 3392 or email us at lhsa@ed.ac.uk

Biographical / Historical

During the Second World War, Norman Dott set up the Brain Injuries Unit in Bangour General Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Hospital in Broxburn, West Lothian. Bangour General Hospital was built as an EMS hospital in 1939 as additional accommodation for wartime casualties and was an annexe to Bangour Village Hospital, which became Edinburgh War Hospital during the conflict. When the expected influx of casualties to Bangour General did not occur, Dott was given space for a Brain Injuries Unit. Dott had scope for two neurosurgical teams in Bangour, the second under Mr G.L Alexander. Other neurology specialists working at Bangour included: Dr Kate Hermann, a German Jewish neurologist who had fled from Nazi Germany before the outbreak of the Second World War; psychiatrist D.K Henderson; anaesthetist G Maxwell Brown; junior anaesthetist Elizabeth Batters; psychologist O.L Zangwill; physicist C.A Beevors; and neuropathologist W Blackwood. In 1941, Dott was made Consultant in Neurosurgery to the Army in Scotland and Consultant Neurosurgeon to the Emergency Medical Service. He was also a member of the National Brain Injuries Committee throughout the war, and was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E) in 1948 for his work in Bangour.

Extent

2171 Files

Related Materials

LHSA holds three related case note collections:

  1. LHB1 CC/24 (RIE Professor Norman Dott, Neurology, Ward 20)
  2. LHB1 CC/22 (RIE, Professor Norman Dott, Neurology, Ward 20, Filed by Disease)
  3. LHB1 CC/20 (RIE, Professor Norman Dott Case Notes)

Papers from the Department of Surgical Neurology form part of LHSA's Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh collection (LHB1/61A). LHSA also holds a number of medical illustrations and demonstration boards made for teaching, clinical practice and research output. Please consult LHSA Archivist for more details. The Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh, holds personal papers from Norman Dott, some of which document his work during the Second World War (Coll-32).

Physical Description

genreform: Paper, black-and-white photographs, glass plate negatives and x-ray film

Repository Details

Part of the Lothian Health Services Archive: Case Notes Repository