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sick. The most difficult cases for which to obtain treatment are
old persons or chronic sick who become acutely ill or who are in
the terminal stage of their illness. These types of cases need continuous
care and treatment, and it is just these requirements which
cannot be met in the home.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948
Under Section 47 of this Act power is given to the Councils of
County Boroughs and County Districts to apply to a Court of
Summary Jurisdiction for an Order for removal and detention, in
a suitable hospital or other place, of persons who
(a) are suffering from grave chronic disease, or, being aged,
infirm or physically incapacitated, are living in insanitary
conditions; and
(b) are unable to devote to themselves, and are not receiving
from other persons, proper care and attention.
Application is made to the Court only as a last resort, and in the
several cases which came to my notice during the year it was
possible, either to persuade the persons concerned to enter a hospital
or home voluntarily, or to provide home help, nursing and other
local services so that they could remain in their own homes.
It is noteworthy that some of the services (e.g., home helping or
home nursing) which contribute to enabling the compulsory powers
of the Section to be avoided, are available from County Council
sources which, happily, are accessible in the same offices.
Under Section 50 of this Act the Borough Council arranged for
the burial of 6 persons where no other provision was being made.
PUBLIC HEALTH LAUNDRY SERVICE
The Public Health Act 1936, Section 84, dealing with the cleansing
of filthy articles gives power to a Local Authority "to cleanse