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66
Chiropody Treatment.—Facilities for foot treatment for the aged
are provided by the London County Council and, depending upon
personal income, the charge varies from nil to 2/6d. Elderly
persons receiving nothing more than the Old Age Pension and/or
National Assistance automatically receive treatment free of charge.
On production of a doctor's certificate, arrangements are made
for transport of the elderly who, for reasons of infirmity, are unable
to make their own way to the Clinic.
National Assistance Act, 1948.—No action under Section 47
of the above Act has been required in respect of compulsory removal
of aged and infirm persons unable adequately to care for themselves.
Where delay of even a few hours may prove decisive, under the
Amendment Act of 1951, the Local Authority or the Medical Officer
of Health, if so authorised by the Council is enabled to remove
urgent cases without the necessity of giving 7 days' notice.
Orders for removal can be made by a Court of Summary
Jurisdiction or a single Justice on an application certified by the
Medical Officer of Health and another registered general medical
practitioner and where agreement to receive such patients has been
reached with the Hospital or Institution authorities. If necessary,
the court or justice may act ex parte.
Orders so made under the Amendment Act are limited to a
period not exceeding 3 weeks and applications for extension of this
period must be made in accordance with the procedure laid down
in Section 47.
Persuasion rather than compulsion has always been the aim of
the Health department and although no advantage was taken of
Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, the following
procedures were adopted on the advice and under the direction of
your Medical Officer :—
8 Old Persons moved to Hospital
20 Old Persons admitted to L.C.C. Homes
Transported Meals for Old People.—The "Meals on Wheels"
service has now been in operation for a number of years by the
local branch of The British Red Cross Society under the direction of
Mrs. Wigley. The Council has continued to make monetary grants
towards the cost of transporting the meals to the homes of old people.
The meals are prepared at a London County Council kitchen and the