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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
There is little I can add to the remarks
which I made last year in regard to the Hospital Services
available to the residents of Friern Barnet.
The position in regard to the Medical
Officer of Health, however, so far as admissions to
hospitals are concerned, is still not entirely clear
either to patients or even to certain members of the
medical profession. Briefly, the Medical Officer
of Health has no power to admit a person to hospital,
except in special circumstances. We can certainly
arrange for the admission of a case of infectious
disease to hospital, where admission to hospital is
required, as this eventuality seldom arises, unless in
cases of overcrowding or where both bread-winners go out
to work, this is a problem which presents no difficulties.
I should, however, like to express my thanks to Coppetts
Wood Hospital for the help which they invariably provide
in arranging for a case to be taken into hospital when
asked to do so. The other step which can be taken by
a Medical Officer of Health is for the admission to
hospital of patients who are in need of care and attention,
and may be a danger to themselves or to other
persons and who refuse admission to hospital* Such
action is taken under Section 47 of the National Assistance
Act 194$. Fortunately, as action under this
Act is by no means a pleasant procedure, and seldom
yields satisfactory results, we have so far always been
able to deal with the matter in other ways. Tact
and persuasion can do a lot, and have invariably enabled
us to secure the consent of even the most stubborn
patient who, up till then, has adamantly refused the
care and attention required in hospital.
There still seems to be a very live
belief, however, that the Medical Officer of Health
can arrange for the admission of cases to hospital in
any circumstances. That is far from being the
case. The duty of arranging the removal to hospital
of a patient lies fairly and squarely with the family
doctor, and not with the local authority. I have,
however, been able to help in many cases, by supporting
the general practitioner with removal to hospital,
especially in the case of the chronic sick, usually
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