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74
ing from grave chronic disease or who, being aged, infirm or
physically incapacitated, are living in insanitary conditions, unable
to devote to themselves and not receiving from others proper care
and attention. Most aged persons in need of care and attention
do avail themselves of the services provided but occasionally every
service is refused and then compulsory removal may be necessary,
although that step is invariably taken reluctantly. Fortunately,
it was not found necessary to invoke this statutory power during
the year.
Co-operation and Co-ordination of Health Department Services
with the Hospital and Family Doctor Services
In a tripartite service consisting of three quite separate and
distinct sections, each of which in itself is high complicated and
personalised and each of which includes practitioners of many
disciplines, it is obviously necessary that for the best results to be
achieved there should be close links between the three sections.
Indeed, as has been said, the remarkable thing is that with the
existing trichotomy, the general level of the health services of this
country is so high. In Wandsworth, we have tried to achieve
co-ordination and co-operation as described below.
(1) General
At Member level, the Health Committee has invited the Local
Medical Committee and the various hospital services to nominate
members to serve on the Committee. Consequently, one general
practitioner is a co-opted member of the Health Committee as a
nominee of the Local Medical Committee and one member
represents the hospital service, nominated by the Teaching Hospitals
Association
On the medical side, some of the senior members of the Health
Department have served in the Borough for a considerable period,
during which time there have, of course, been many opportunities
for making personal and close contacts with general practitioner
colleagues and those holding consultant posts in hospitals. This
applies more particularly to those sections of the Health Department
such as maternity and child welfare, mental health and
infectious diseases, which are primarily of joint concern. Close
contacts are maintained with the Secretary of the Local Medical
Committee but in Inner London, since this Committee covers the
whole area of the 12 Inner London Boroughs, these contacts are
not perhaps as intimate as they might be in provincial areas.
Nevertheless, links are still quite close and through the good offices
of the Secretary, the Local Medical Committee agendas and reports
are made available to me. This latter also applies in equal degree
to the Inner London Executive Council.