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18
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Appointments to the Council's permanent staff are subject
to passing a medical examination which includes a satisfactory
recent chest X-ray. The X-ray is normally carried out by the
permanent mass radiography unit at Drayton Park. Examinations
are normally carried out by the Medical Officer of Health (or by
the Deputy Medical Officer of Health in respect of female staff).
Examinations are also carried out from time to time on
Hampstead residents who have been appointed to local government
posts in other parts of the country. No fee is charged for the
examination. Similarly persons appointed to Hampstead but living
at a distance are generally examined in their home area in order
to save time and expense in travelling. In these cases where the
examination is carried out by or on behalf of the medical officer
no fee is paid, but if the examination is carried out by a general
medical practitioner a fee is paid in accordance with the scale
approved by the British Medical Association.
Seventy-four examinations were undertaken during the year.
Twenty-five were in respect of new appointments to the staff; 25
were for transfer to the permanent staff; 22 were in connection
with special reports which were required because of absence through
sickness; 2 were carried out on behalf of other authorities.
Five persons were found to be unfit to carry out their
duties and were recommended to be placed on superannuation.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1958, SECTION 50
In nine instances the Public Health Department were
called upon to arrange the burial of a person who was either without
any known relative or the relatives were unable to meet the
cost of arranging a private funeral.
The total cost of the burials was £99. 16s. 9d. and of
this amount £78. 9s. Id. was recovered from the estates of the
deceased, from relatives, or from death grants. In 5 instances
the expenses were recovered in full; in 2 cases the whole of the
expenses, amounting to £ 13. 15s. Od. were written off; in the
remaining 2 cases only part of the expenses was recovered and
an amount of £7.12s.8d. was written off.