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The report of the Central Health Services Council
for the year ended December 31st, 1950, recognises that
"this is a potent source of infection" and recommends
"that for chronic infectious patients who are ambulant
it is desirable to provide hostels affording domiciliary
care and medical supervision."
In my view an anomalous position has arisen in
regard to the domiciliary tuberculous patient. The
presence of a tuberculous person in a household is often
regarded by the Housing Committee, and rightly so, as
grounds for the rehousing of the patient or of a second
family, especially if it includes young children, who are
occupying the same premises. It would, perhaps, be more
efficacious and less costly to remove the source of
infection to suitable hospital or other accommodation.
The care of old people living alone is becoming more
and more the responsibility of the Health Department.
Under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, 1948,
as amended by the National Assistance (Amendment)
Act, 1951, it is the responsibility of the local authority
to take appropriate action in the cases of persons "who
are suffering from grave chronic disease or being aged
and infirm or physically handicapped are living in ???nsanitary
conditions and are unable to devote to themselves,
and are not receiving from other persons, proper
care and attention." The effects of the ageing of the
population are now being felt in the increase of such
cases. Old people are often discovered to be living in
conditions grotesque from the point of view of loneliness
and the absence of even the lowest standards of comfort,
care and cleanliness. These old people are nearly always
infirm to a greater or lesser extent and I would like to
express my appreciation of the help which is so readily
forthcoming from the officers of the Woolwich Group
Hospital Management Committee who do their best
under difficult circumstances to find accommodation for
these urgent cases.
The affiliation of the local Elderly People's Walfare
Committee to the North West Kent Old People's Welfare
Committee, operating under the North West Kent Council
of Social Service, has now taken place and the experiment
is being tried of appointing district liaison officers
somewhat on the lines of the Tuberculosis After-Care
Committee. The work of the new Committee will be,
firstly, to ascertain on a Ward basis the old people
needing additional care, to co-ordinate the work of all
agencies providing for the care of old people and to
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