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The decrease, as compared with previous years, is largely due to the
fact that most of the persons dying in hospitals were buried by the
hospital authorities.
The burials arranged by the Council are carried out by a local
undertaker under contract, and not more than one coach is provided
for followers. The Health Department make the arrangements and
collect all available information regarding any estate left by the deceased,
Particulars of his National Insurance, and the existence of any "liable"
relatives. This information is passed to the Borough Treasurer so that
he may take steps to recover the cost.
The total cost incurred in dealing with the 7 cases was £75 of
which £30 had been recovered by the end of the year.
Aged and Infirm Persons.
Under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Council
are empowered to apply to a Court of Summary Jurisdiction for an
Order for the removal to a hospital or other suitable place of any person
who is aged or infirm or suffering from some grave chronic disease,
and is living under insanitary conditions. This power is exercisable
on the certificate of the Medical Officer of Health. The Order remains
Operative for a period of three months, but the Court may, on application
by the Council, extend it for such further periods, not exceeding three
Months each, as are considered necessary.
The procedure under Section 47, as outlined above, was amended
by the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951, which came into
operation on the 1st September, 1951, for the purpose of enabling very
u rgent cases to be dealt with more expeditiously. This new Act provides
that the Court, or a single Justice of the Peace, may, on the certificates
of the Medical Officer of Health and another registered medical practitioner,
make an Order without formal notice of the application having
been given to the person concerned or to the hospital authority, subject,
in the case of the latter, to evidence being produced of their willingness
to admit the person. The length of time a person may be detained
under such an Order is limited to three weeks, instead of three months,
and any application for an extension of this period must be made in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Section 47. An application
under the new Act may be made by the Medical Officer of Health
without special authority from the Health Committee in each individual
case provided a general authority to act is given. Such general authority
was in fact given by the Council at their meeting on the 3rd October,
1951.