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67.
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
Ambulance Facilities.
The Greater London Council is responsible under Section 27 of the National
Health Service Act 1946 for the provisions of Ambulance transport in the area.
Authentication of International Certificates of Vaccination
and Inoculation.
Persons proceeding abroad are required in certain countries to produce a
certificate of recent successful vaccination and/or inoculation and, in addition,
the signature of the vaccinating doctor must be verified by the medical officer,
of health of the district. During the year, 2,568 signatures on certificates
were verified as those of medical practitioners practising in the Borough and
the certificates endorsed accordingly.
Blind and Partially Sighted Persons.
It is necessary, for the purpose of the Council's scheme for providing
welfare services under the National Assistance Act 1948 for the blind and
partially sighted, to arrange medical examinations in connection with the
certification of such persons. The Department arranged 114 examinations by a
consultant ophthalmologist, during the year, at a cost of £413. Transport to
the clinic for examination is arranged for those persons where necessary.
In addition, certificates accepted from other local authorities, hospitals
and private ophthalmologists numbered 61.
Conferences.
Conferences and courses attended by members of the Council and/or officers
of the Department are summarised on pages 115/117.
Deceased Persons.
Inquests. Inquests were held on 92 residents of the Borough during the
year, the verdicts being: 21 deaths due to road accidents, 29 other accidents,
18 suicides, 1 acute alcoholism, 4 misadventure, 1 murder, 3 natural causes,
10 open verdicts, 1 manslaughter, 1 drug addiction, 1 asbestosis and 2 other
causes.
Burials. Section 50 of the National Assistance Act 1947 places a duty
on the Council to arrange for the burial of any person found dead within the
Borough where no private arrangements have been made. Burials numbering 31
took place during the year - 24 adults, 4 children and 3 stillbirths, - at a
cost of £342 which was recovered at the end of the year either from the estates
of the deceased persons or from liable relatives, or by way of grants made
under the National Insurance Act 1946. 20 requests for burial came from H. M.
Coroner's Officer, 9 from relatives of the deceased, and 2 from other persons.