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If some of the Health Services were administered under one
roof, overlapping could be avoided and the patient receive his or
her measure of service with the least possible inconvenience.
It must not be assumed, however, that all the effects of the
National Health Service Act are being negatived by this overlapping;
on the contrary, a great deal of good has been accomplished
whilst much more remains to be done.
So far as disease is concerned, quite a number of changes have
occurred over the last 20 to 30 years. Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria
which wrought such havoc among the younger members of the
population in the past, have now become less virulent in character,
whilst other diseases have assumed greater gravity—Poliomyelitis,
Intestinal complaints, Allergies and some of the Chronic Nervous
Disorders are becoming more prevalent. These also have a sinister
effect in so far as remedies are not readily available.
Patients discharged from hospitals should receive a measure
of serious consideration. It is becoming more and more the policy
of some hospitals to discharge patients, notably old people, to their
own homes when it is apparent that nothing more can be done for
them in hospital. On some occasions this has proved injurious to
the relatives at home, as it sometimes happens, the aged partner
at home is the only one who can give assistance to the patient.
This frequently proves detrimental to both.
The service which is being rendered in this district of conveying
information about patients from Hospitals to General
Practitioners and from Hospitals to Local Health Authorities is
serving a good purpose; this liaison is very important in the interests
of the patients.
Housing.—Some Clearance Areas have already been dealt
with, and it is to be hoped that this work will be expedited to the
fullest extent of the resources of the Council as some of the people
of Edmonton have lived long enough under circumstances that are
extremely undesirable.
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