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7
Establishments for Massage and Special Treatment.
The registration of establishments for massage and special treatment is delegated to the Borough
Council in accordance with Part XII of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1944, and the work of inspection
of the establishments is performed by the Council's sanitary inspectors.
During the year 1950, 23 premises were registered, 5 persons were granted a licence, 17 a renewal of
a licence, and 1 received exemption under section 363 of the Act.
Health Education.
Health education has become very popular in the borough, and lecturers on health are in great demand
at clubs, religious organisations, community associations, trade unions, co-operative and political parties,
day nurseries and schools. Doctors, health visitors, sanitary inspectors, other chief officers and their
deputies, the public relations officer, the chairman of the Area Health Committee and his wife, and many outside
lecturers have given invaluable help in this work. Without them, little success could have been achieved,
and the public health department and the people of Willesden are very grateful for their assistance.
Mothercraft classes and talks by doctors and health visitors are now given at all the health centres.
Further, separate meetings of sanitary inspectors, doctors, health visitors and day nursery matrons and their
deputies are held regularly, where health educational films are shown, often with the help of outside lecturers.
Many interesting discussions have taken place.
Health education is thus helping the health worker and the people in the battle against disease. There
is nothing spectacular in the results, but the foundation is being laid for a community of people with a clear
understanding of how our main enemy, disease, can be defeated.
Health Services of the Other Authorities in the Area.
The hospital facilities provided by the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, and the
maternity and child welfare and school health services provided by the Middlesex County Council, remain
substantially the same; they are described in the 1948 report.
It is interesting to note the position regarding the provision of private beds in hospitals within the
district. Under the provisions of the National Health Service Act, 1946, there are, broadly speaking, three
types of accommodation available for persons requiring hospital in-patient treatment. Persons admitted to
hospital under section 3 of that Act are not required to contribute at all towards the cost of their maintenance
and treatment in hospital and the entire expense is met from the National Exchequer.
Under section 4 of the National Health Service Act, accommodation is made available in certain hospitals
in single rooms or small wards for persons desiring to obtain a measure of privacy and willing to make
a contribution towards the cost of their accommodation but unable to pay the full amount of such cost.
Regulations were issued subsequent to the passing of the Act under which the charge made to such patients
is at the rate of 6/- per day for persons occupying single rooms and at the rate of 3/- per day for accommodation
in two-bedded or other small ward accommodation.
Under section 5 of the National Health Service Act accommodation in single or other small wards
is made available in certain hospitals for persons willing to pay the full cost involved in providing for their
maintenance in hospital and also the charges made by the medical practitioners concerned for medical
services (normally not being more than 75 guineas for any particular course of treatment) which may be
incurred in their treatment. These patients may engage the services of any medical practitioner who carries
out duties in the hospitals in the National Health Service, although in practice they usually elect to be treated
by consultants engaged at the hospital at which they seek admission. Alternatively, they may pay the hospital
authorities for the services of the medical and surgical staff engaged in their treatment.
Persons admitted to hospital under section 3 of the Act who need section 4 or 5 accommodation on
medical grounds are admitted to such accommodation to the exclusion, if necessary, of persons who have
undertaken to pay the charges to which I have referred.
Each of the general hospitals administered by the Central Middlesex Hospital Management Committee
has both section 4 and section 5 accommodation. The three hospitals concerned are Acton Hospital, Gunnersbury
Lane, Action, W.3, Willesden General Hospital, Harlesden Road, N.W.10, and Central Middlesex Hospital,
Acton Lane, Park Royal, N.W.10, although it is not anticipated that such accommodation at the latter
hospital will come into use until the 1st June, 1951.