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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
Hospitals.
The situation in regard to the availability of
hospital beds has not altered from the statement set out
in recent Annual Reports. Although there has been a
tendency for difficulty to be encountered in the
admission of maternity cases to hospital, especially on
social rather than medical grounds, this problem has not
arisen in Friern Barnet to any material extent. The
same remarks might apply to the admission of chronic
elderly sick. We are fortunate in Friern Barnet in
having excellent geriatric services available in the
hospitals to which our elderly chronic sick are normally
admitted. This has very greatly eased the problem,
although it cannot yet be said that the existing
difficulties have been overcome. The whole question
of geriatrics is one which requires review, not on a local
but rather on a national level. When one remembers that
the number of persons over the age of 65 years in Middlesex
is estimated to rise by approximately 30% within the next
ten years, it will be seen that this is a problem which is
almost certain to grow, The Council can rest assured
that the need for more geriatric beds will be constantly
reviewed, and that I will not hesitate to raise this matter
at any time and in any place.
Care of the Aged.
I have been very privileged during the year to
take part in the work of the Friern Barnet Old People's
Welfare Committee, of which I am a member. I have spoken
about the work of this Committee in previous Annual Reports,
but do not hesitate to ventilate the subject again. There
is no doubt that the Friern Barnet Old People's Welfare
Committee is an extremely active, vigorous and far-thinking
body. The programme relating to care of the aged in
Friern Barnet has been very well planned, and, I am convinced,
will compare extremely favourably with similar programmes
in other districts of comparable size. It cannot, of course,
be said that the problem has yet been solved. Much work
remains to be done before we can honestly say that the needs,
sometimes the very desperate needs, of the old people in our
district are being met. But it can at least be said that
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