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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.
Under Section 50 of this Act the Borough Council arranged for
the burial of 8 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 fluctuated between 20 and 30.
There is no doubt that a service of this kind is of great value
to the community. Commercial launderies will not accept articles
in the condition dealt with under the Council scheme, and the relief
is greatly welcomed by patients and relatives. It is certain that
in some cases relatives would be unable to cope with these incontinent
old people and removal to hospital would be necessary. I
give below details of the cases dealt with during 1959.
Number of cases dealt with 71
Number of cases died 22
Number of cases removed to hospital 20
Number of cases where other arrangements made –
Number of collections 1478