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46
SECTION H.
OTHER SERVICES.
Inspection of Nursing Homes.
The district is fortunate in that it has a number of excellent Nursing
and Maternity Homes, but full use is not being made of the facilities
offered, as, with the advent of the National Health Service Act, most
people are unwilling and unable to afford to pay the fees which, like
most other things, are tending to rise. This is indeed a tragedy when
one considers the number of people urgently requiring treatment or
care who cannot be accommodated by the Hospital Board or by the
County Council. The only practical solution appears to be for the
Hospital Board and the County Council each to take over some of
the empty beds and to pay the Nursing Home proprietors an agreed
figure for taking on their responsibilities. On the other hand, with
the current shortage of money and the drive for economy, both the
above authorities may find a financial barrier to any expansion in
this direction.
The district now has seven registered homes—one more than
during the previous year—and thirteen visits have been paid to them
during the course of the year. There were no serious infringements
of the Byelaws and the service offered was, in all cases, up to the
required standard.
Health Education.
Early in the year a meeting was held in the Council Chamber to
which were invited proprietors of cafes, restaurants, etc. The problems
of the caterers were thrashed out and a frank exchange of views
obtained between the caterers and the Public Health Department.
As a result of this meeting it was decided to give a film show,
followed by a lecture and discussion on the problems of clean food
handling. This took place in the Council Chamber in May, and was
well attended and appreciated by both the management and staff sides.
The following month the whole performance was repeated at one
of the school halls for the benefit of the school canteen workers and
was again very well attended.
These two efforts supplemented and stressed the continuous
propaganda and educational work being undertaken by the department,
but in the ordinary way the work is naturally of a much more individual
nature.
It would appear that nothing but good can eventuate from our
efforts, but the tree grows slowly and will take some years to fruit
fully.
In addition to the above, Mr. Allen arranged a series of films on
matters of health interest one evening in October. The Central Office