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Laundry Service for the Incontinent
The laundry service, which commenced in 1957, continued to
operate in the Borough. The service has been set up to assist in the
problems concerning incontinent persons. It operates in accordance
with the provisions of Section 42 of the Middlesex County Council
Act, 1956, which deals with, amongst other things, the cleansing of
soiled articles.
The washing machine is installed at the Disinfecting Station
and arrangements are made for articles to be collected and
delivered twice weekly. The practice is for collections to be made
on Tuesdays and Fridays, and for deliveries, on Wednesdays and
Saturdays.
The cost of the service is borne by the local authority. The
only stipulation made is that the garments or bedding involved must
not be of a type which could be accepted by a commercial laundry.
During 1958, 260 collections of articles were made. The number
of persons for whom the service was recommended, and subsequently
authorised by the Medical Officer of Health or by the Public Health
Inspectors, was 17. Five persons were continuing to receive assistance
at the end of the year.
Requests were received from Edmonton and Friern Barnet to
assist those Authorities as they were unable to provide their own
services. Owing to limited resources in Finchley, it was found possible
to offer assistance to Friern Barnet only, and at the end of the year,
arrangements were being made so that a service could be operated
in 1959.
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