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123
Number of Beds
Nursing Home Mental Maternity Others
Lady Edith Marsh Nursing Home,
14 St. German's Place, S.E.3 — — 19
Chiropody Services
A measure of the importance with which the government views
chiropody services is shown by a Bill now before parliament. The
Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Bill seeks a requirement
that, local authorities providing chiropody services in accordance
with Section 12 of the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968,
shall give to the Secretary of State information as to the extent to
which these services are used for the benefit of disabled persons
under the age of 65 years.
During the year, clinical chiropody in the Borough has seen the
attendances fall from the 1968 figure of 41,719 to the current total
of 31,321, the number of new cases from 1,546 to 740 and sessions
from 5,463 to 4,007.
A summary of the 1969 Report of the Council's Chief Chiropodist,
Mr. K. Reeve, is given below:—
The predicted fall in attendance figures was attributable to the
involuntary reduction of staff to three quarters of the level of the
preceding year.
Staff shortage still gives rise to considerable concern and, in an
attempt to alleviate the situation, a scheme of sponsored training
is being contemplated for 1970 in the hope that it will ensure
a nucleus of personnel for future clinics.
Remuneration, which is admittedly too low, and anomalies in
rates of pay for permanent and sessional chiropodists form the
root cause for the shortage but it is anticipated that the recent
agreement on revised scales of salaries reached in December by the
Whitley Council will make local government service more rewarding
for the profession.
Appliance manufacture continued on a limited scale, more
provision being made for materials and equipment, although a
separate workshop for this part of the service was still not available.
The closing months of the current year saw advances made in
orthonyx work and, with the introduction of specially designed
instruments to facilitate the moulding of materials used in this
field, results have been extremely encouraging. It is planned to
extend appliance work still further next year by the use of silicone
compounds and thermoplastic materials which are light, hygienic
and resistant to wear.