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13
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
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. However,
in one case it was found necessary to take action under
Section 47.
This case concerned a woman aged 90 years who was senile and
had a high blood pressure condition. Her relatives refused to help
in any way and it became increasingly difficult to get Home Helps
to attend her due to her bad habits, behaviour and abusiveness.
As she was not receiving the care and attention she needed I decided
that it would be in the woman's interest if she was removed
to hospital.
An order was obtained authorising her detention for three months
and this period was extended as her physical condition did not
improve. She was still in hospital at the end of the year.
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 Laundry Service was commenced in November
1955 under the powers of Section 84 of the Public Health Act
1936, to assist incontinent old persons and to relieve them or their
relatives of the burden of washing soiled linen.
The service is running smoothly and the number of cases dealt
with weekly continue to fluctuate between 10 and 15.
There is no doubt that a service of this kind is of great value
to the community. Commercial launderies will not accept articles