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6
lives to Local Authority Service. We wish him every
happiness and a long life to enjoy his well earned retirement.
During the year a number of developments in connection
with Old People's care have been inaugurated particularly
in the field of Old People s Workshops and Chiropody
details of these are given in the Report. The Council are
always most appreciative of the voluntary work given in
the organisation of these services and I have always been
most fortunate in having the fullest co operation from
the bodies dealing with it. We have been hoping for some
time to introduce a Rest and Treatment Centre for the
elderly and we feel this might cover a need in dealing
with some of the conditions which cannot at present be
dealt with by General Practitioners. Through the agency
of a special centre for physiotherapy and other treatments,
with the backing of the Council and with the approval of
the Ministry of Health, there now seems every prospect
that during 1960 we may be able to make substantial
progress in establishing such a Centre. It is still too
early to talk of the potential that may be explored as a
result of this scheme, but there would seem good grounds
for attempting to try such an experiment in a Borough
such as Ealing where so many experimental schemes have
been tried and where so many have been successful in the
past. The gaps made in the overall picture of medical
services by the division of medicine into the hospital,
practitioner and local authority services, need to be
filled and this may well be one of the links needed to
improve the present availability of treatment facilities
among the elderly. The Council will, I am sure watch the
progress of the experiment with great interest.
May I express my appreciation of the excellent
services given by all the members of the health staff
during the year. I am much indebted personally to all of
them.
Your obedient servant,
W. G. BOOTH,
Medical Officer of Health.