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NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948 - SECTION 47
OLD AND INFIRM PERSONS
The National Assistance Acts 1948 and 1951, provide that a local authority may apply to
a Court of Summary Jurisdiction for an Order to secure the removal of aged and infirm persons where
it is certified by the Medical Officer of Health to be necessary for the purpose of securing their
proper care and attention. For this purpose, the old people concerned, must be:-
(a) suffering from grave chronic disease or being aged, infirm or physically incapacitated,
living in insanitary conditions; and,
(b) unable to devote proper care and attention to themselves and not receiving it from
other persons.
In all cases coming to the notice of the Department it was possible by persuasion to
get the old people to accept the necessary service so that they could remain in their own homes,
or to go to hospital or to an old people's home. No applications to the Court were necessary.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948 - SECTION 50
Under this Section the Council arranged for the burial of 131 bodies where no other suitable
arrangements seemed likely to be made. The burials cost £2,333: £2,123, was recovered from
relatives or the estates of the deceased persons.
Cases came to the notice of the Health Department from the following sources:Coroner's
Officer 25
Friends or relatives of the deceased 52
Hospitals 54
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