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8
Conferences.
The Council were officially represented at the under-mentioned conferences dealing with matters
within the purview of the Public Health Department:—
Conference Delegate
Royal Society of Health—Folkestone, 30th April to Alderman Capt. R. G. Whitney, J.P.
3rd May.
Association of Public Health Inspectors—East- Mr. V. A. Bignell, Senior Public Health
bourne, 17th to 20th September. Inspector.
National Smoke Abatement Society—Hastings, 2nd Councillor Dr. H. K. Ashworth, T.D.
to 4th October. The Medical Officer of Health.
Central Consultative Committee on the Welfare of Councillor Miss F. E. Wilson and
Old People—London, 5th April. Miss M. M. Sharp, M.B.E., Public Health
Inspector.
Financial Contributions to Voluntary Organisations.
Payments to the funds of voluntary bodies were, on the recommendation of the Public Health
Committee, made by the Council during 1957, as indicated below :—
Organisation Amount Statutory Authority
£ s. d.
Central Council for Health Education 1111 0 Public Health (London) Act, 1936,
section 298.
Family Welfare Association (Area 2) 100 0 0 Local Government Act, 1948,
section 136.
St. Marylebone Youth Committee 75 0 0 do.
St. Marylebone Boy Scouts' Local Association 50 0 0 do.
National Smoke Abatement Society 7 7 0 Public Health (London) Act, 1936,
section 298.
St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association—
" Meals on Wheels" Service, Foot Clinic, etc. 775 0 0 National Assistance Act, 1948,
section 31.
Assisted Holidays Scheme 250 0 0 do.
" Inner Wheel " Old People's Club—Rent of Hall 26 0 0 do.
Women's Voluntary Services 40 0 0 do.
Care of Old People.
The women public health inspectors visited 669 old people during the year. Although included
in this figure were 57 married couples, most of these old people lived alone and many required constant
observation.
The St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association, acting voluntarily and in close co-operation
with the department, continued to give invaluable service to the elderly. Some of the more important
activities are mentioned in the extract from their Annual Report reproduced below. The London
County Council's domestic help service and Department for the Handicapped, together with the
District Nurses, likewise were of great assistance.
Special Laundry Service.—Under the scheme started in 1950 for laundering bed linen and clothing
of acutely ill and incontinent or very dirty and verminous old people, forty-one cases were dealt with.
Thirty-two of these were new and each was the subject of a certificate given by the Medical Officer
of Health under the provisions of section 122 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. The work is
done by the Council's staff at the Public Health Department laundry at 217, Lisson Grove, N.W.8.
Bathing.—Under the provisions of section 43 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1953, sanitary authorities are empowered to make arrangements for bathing old people at their own
request or with their consent. During the year, 355 baths were given to women and 175 to men under
the scheme started in 1954 for bathing old persons at the Lisson Grove Centre. The total number of
baths (530) is the highest so far and indicates the popularity of the scheme.
A trained nurse is employed part-time, under the general direction of a woman public health
inspector, to supervise the bathing and accompany the old people on their journeys between their
homes and the Centre,