View report page

59
HOME DIALYSIS
The City Council was glad to assist with the installation of an artificial kidney machine at the home
of a young man living in South Westminster.
At the request of the Consultant Physician, Renal Dialysis Unit, Lambeth Hospital, certain plumbing,
electrical and other works were carried out in the patient's bedroom to enable the hospital
equipment to be installed and to function satisfactorily. General Ministerial approval has been given
for expenditure on works of this nature to be incurred by a local health authority.
It is understood from the hospital that home treatment is proceeding satisfactorily and that in this
case and in the similar case reported last year, both persons have been able to follow their normal
employment.
CHIROPODY SERVICE
A chiropody service is made available under Section 28 of the National Health Service Act, 1946
for the elderly, physically handicapped, expectant mothers and children. Treatment is available for
residents at eleven centres in the City Council area, including, by arrangement with the Director of
Welfare, a clinic at the Welfare Centre for the Handicapped at 10 Warwick Row, S.W.1 for persons
who normally attend the centre and for other handicapped people who are conveyed there in the
Welfare Department's special coaches. Arrangements are made for some patients to receive their
treatment at the surgeries of three private chiropodists, and for those who are housebound to receive
treatment at home.
As mentioned earlier in this report, the chiropody service formerly provided in the Welfare Department's
residential homes will become the responsibility of the Health Department as from 1st
January, 1970. As mentioned in my Annual Report for 1968, opportunity was taken in April 1968
to integrate under Health Department Control the chiropody service formerly provided by the City
of Westminster Old People's Welfare Association. This further transfer of services from the Welfare
Department therefore completes the process of centralisation of the chiropody service in the Health
Department.
New applicants for the service are visited by the Chief Chiropodist who establishes need and
refers them to an appropriate source for treatment.
The provision of transport for patients unable to make their own way to centres for treatment has
proved highly successful. This transport service has enabled some patients who had been receiving
treatment at home, and others who would otherwise have been provided with the domiciliary service,
to have the advantage of attending a centre. In addition, it is anticipated that the use of the proposed
Mobile Health Clinic, which will include chiropody facilities, will reduce difficulties experienced by
some patients in travelling to their nearest centre, and thus enable these centres to accept other
patients.
During the latter part of the year a sessional chiropodist was appointed to provide treatments at
Marsham Street Centre where a reduced service had been operating following the resignation of the
chiropodist for health reasons. This appointment also facilitated an increase in chiropody sessions
at the Welfare Department's Centre for the Handicapped and at two other centres.
The chiropody clinic at All Soul's Club, Greenwell Street, W.1, was closed at the end of the year as
the premises and facilities were considered to be inadequate to provide this service, the patients
being transferred to an adjacent City Council clinic.
The Social Services Committee in October 1969 approved an increase in the staffing establishment
for chiropodists in the next financial year and further improvements and expansion of this much
needed service are envisaged during 1970. Arrangements have also been made to purchase a
hydraulic chiropody chair for use at the Welfare Centre for the Handicapped which will greatly
assist both patients and chiropodists.
During December 1969 the Chief Chiropodist and 11 sessional chiropodists were working 36
sessions in a week, and 7 chiropodists were providing approximately 90 domiciliary treatments a
week.
Details of the number of treatments undertaken in 1969 are set out in Table 38 Page 86.