View report page

In addition to the Sick Room Equipment listed above, disposable
sheets and interliners and also plastic pants are issued
free of charge for incontinent patients being nursed at home.
Issues of sheets and interliners increased by almost 100%
compared with the previous year, which would seem to indicate
both that the number of incontinent patients being nursed at home
has increased and that more use is being made of these items
for sick patients. The figures are as follows:—
1969 1968
Disposable Sheets issued 89,400 45,500
Interliners 58,885 30,900
Plastic pants, pairs 385 318
Incontinent laundry service
In addition to the issue of the disposable items for incontinent
patients mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Department
also provides an incontinent laundry service for sheets,
night clothes etc., free of charge. Collection and delivery of the
articles is undertaken twice perweek, the articles being laundered
by arrangement with the Hospital Management Committee at
St. George's Hospital, Hornchurch. The fact that in 1969 a total
of 17,845 articles were laundered compared with a figure of
10,344 in the previous year, illustrates that the demand on this
service, in common with the supply of disposable sheets etc.,
has greatly increased.
Recuperative holidays
88 recommendations for recuperative holidays were received
from Hospitals or General Medical Practitioners during the year.
62 adults and one mother and baby were sent to various private
convalescent homes, the normal period being two weeks. The
majority of the remaining 26 did not avail themselves of the
facilities offered, but in one or two instances, e.g. in the case
of very elderly persons, it proved impossible to find a suitable
vacancy.
Nursing homes
Two private Nursing Homes are Registered in the Borough,
both of which are regularly inspected by the staff of the Health
and Welfare Department. These homes provide a total of 41 beds
for acute and chronic sick patients.
37