London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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44
Miscellaneous Matters.
| Conference. | Delegates. |
|---|---|
| Royal Society of Health, Folkestone—30th April to 3rd May. | Cllr. Miss E. A. Coles, J.P., and the Medical Officer of Health. |
| Association of Public Health Inspectors, Eastbourne— 17th to 20th September. | Cllr. Mrs. C. M. Davies and Mr. J. A. H. Brownlow, Public Health Inspector. |
| National Society for Clean Air, Hastings—2nd to 4th October. | Cllr. Mrs. E. A. Cooper, J.P., and Mr. L. Burrows, Public Health Inspector. |
Care of the Aged.
The work and problems as outlined in previous Reports remain,
and during the year there have been no outstanding developments. One
of our Public Health Inspectors devotes a considerable part of her
time to the care of old people, and at the end of the year had 227 old
people on her Register whom she visited and kept in touch with. Close
liaison is maintained with other organisations and agencies concerned
with the care of old people, particularly the London County Council
local Health Department, the Home Help Organisation and the
Battersea Old People's Welfare Committee.
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.
Seven clear days' notice of the intention of making an application
to the Court must be given to the person concerned, or to some
person in charge of him. 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
urgent cases to be dealt with more expeditiously. The 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 practtioner,
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