Several Hospital expressed their desire for the assistance of COS in shifting their out-patients. A general enquiry was undertaken at the request of Royal Free Hospital:

"The names and addresses of 641 applicants had been taken down, without selection, and those who had conducted the investigation, were of opinion, after making allowances for dependent relatives and other exceptional circumstances, that we of these could have paid a doctor's bill, that 231 could have subscribed to a provident dispensary, that 169 might be described to as proper applicants, and that 57 should have gone to the parish doctor; 103 gave false names and addresses, and from about 69 no sufficient information was obtained" [Reorter, vol.4].