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23
SECTION "B" — GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Disinfection and personal cleansing
The disinfecting station and the cleansing station are situated at
Wearside Road Depot. During the year alterations were carried out
at the disinfecting station, the superintendent's office and staff mess
room being converted into an ironing and despatch room. An extension
was built to the main building to provide new accommodation for the
superintendent and to provide a messroom for the staff. An additional
washing machine with a capacity of 11 cubic feet was installed in the part
of the disinfecting station where bedding and clothing are received
for disinfection, and a calender provided in the new ironing room.
There has been a tendency in the past for people to indicate some
doubt as to the desirability of disinfection of clothing and bedding
after cases of infectious disease because they have been afraid that the
articles would not be returned in a good condition. With the introduction
of this new and additional plant it is possible to return articles in a
condition approaching that in which they would be returned if sent
to a laundry.
It is also possible for the department to assist certain elderly people
who are incontinent and who are incapable of dealing with their own
washing, by collecting articles from their homes, and returning the
articles after they have been washed and ironed. This service, which
is only applicable to those cases coming under s. 122 of the Public
Health (London) Act, has been particularly useful where hospitalisation
is not available or where there is likely to be some delay before admission
can be arranged, and it has also helped to ease the burden of life for
chronic cases after discharge from hospital. It has been highly
appreciated.