Four printing stamps, one for recording patient weight changes, two for re-admissions, and one general purpose hospital stamp, from St. Francis Psychiatric Hospital, a psychiatric institution, Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, 1948-1990.

High levels of bureaucracy existed within institutional life. These four printing stamps were used for administration at St. Francis Psychiatric Hospital in Brighton. One records patient weight changes, two relate to re-admissions, and one is a general purpose hospital stamp. By the mid-20th century, spending time in an institution was not the life sentence it could be in the old ‘lunatic asylums’. Many patients were actually out-patients. Re-admissions were common enough to require a stamp. Patients were allotted a reference number on re-admission. Their circumstances, mental health and physical details were noted.