View report page

In this district the County Council is responsible for
the provision of Homes home helps and some aspects of
welfare the Urban District Council provides some housing
accommodation but the supply is never equal to the demand
This Council also contributes to the funds of a voluntary
committee which is responsible for the provision of many
useful services These cover such things as meals on
wheels, chiropody, holidays Christmas parcels laundrette
facilities and visitors The Medical Officer and Council
representatives are members of this committee and liaison
between the various authorities concerned is very good
The Medical Officer has powers under the National
Assistance Act to effect the removal of an old person living
in insanitary circumstances and incapable of looking after
himself These powers are seldom used as in most cases it
is possible to persuade an old person to accept a place in
a Home or a bed in a hospital It requires almost as much
persuasion to obtain the bed or vacancy in the first place.
Care of some sort can usually be provided during the day.
but one of the biggest problems is the care by night of an
old person living alone without means of communication with
neighbours in case of emergency The provision of a nighttime
companion service could do much to lessen the demand
for hospital beds and places in homes
Immunisation and Vaccination.
The figures showing the number of persons immunised
and vaccinated during the past 5 years are shown on page
11 They are given by courtesy of the Area Medical Officer
There has been a further decrease in the number of
children protected against diphtheria and smallpox in spite
of unremitting persuasion on the part of the public health
workers This is almost certainly because of the multiplicity
of injections to which young children are now sub
jected Instead of three injections ofacombined antigen
they are now given protection against diphtheria and whooping
cough (and tetanus if desired) separately which in
volvesatotal of at least five and possibly eight injections
in addition to vaccination against smallpox and poliomye
litis This policy has been recommended because of the
risk of paralysis in poliomyelitis.
10