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45
Action under this Act may be protracted, therefore the National
Assistance (Amendment) Act 1951 was passed enabling the Medical
Officer of Health, under delegated powers, to apply to the Court
himself in an emergency. If the amending legislation is used a
second medical certificate is required and the maximum period of
detention is three weeks.
During the year statutory action under the provisions of these
Acts was taken in two cases.
Case No. 1
This was an old lady of 88 years referred to the Public Health
Department by the private practitioner. She was living alone in
insanitary conditions, was in bed suffering from Broncho pneumonia
and refused to go into a hospital or Institution. All persuasive
methods failed and on two occasions ambulances were called but
the old lady was adamant. She was removed on February 27th to
hospital where she settled down and was later admitted to Part III
accommodation.
Case No. 2
This case, an old man of 76 years, had been found by the police
lying on the floor where it was alleged he had been for 5 days.
The premises were dirty, he had very little food and there was
no-one to care for him or his dog. He refused to go into hospital
and persuasive methods again failed. The appropriate action was
taken under the National Assistance Act 1948 as amended and he was
removed to St. Francis' Hospital where he died on 24th June, 1957.
Holidays for the Elderly
The Scheme to send old age pensioners to the sea-side for a
week's holiday at a cost to them of £1 was continued during the
year. In order to participate in the scheme a person must be an
old age pensioner, have lived in the Borough of Lambeth for at
least three years and during the same period must not have had a
holiday.
Holidays were arranged at Brighton in the Spring and Autumn,
the first period being during May and the second in September.
Parties of old people were sent to Brighton by coach at weekly
intervals and on the outward and return journeys were accompanied
by a State Registered Nurse. An officer of the Public Health
Department went on each of the outward journeys.