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NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948.
Legal action was taken in one case for the admission of an elderly woman
to hospital, after endeavours to obtain her admission had proved fruitless.
The Group Hospital Management Committee were legally represented and
opposed the application. The Justices decided, in view of the shortage of beds
in the Group area to refuse the application, although they expressed the view
that the person concerned should be in an institution.
On other occasions difficulty was experienced in obtaining admission
to institutions of aged persons suffering from chronic illness and in need of care
and attention. Until sufficient institutional accommodation and staff are
provided for the chronic aged sick, particularly those living alone, the proper
care of these elderly people will remain a serious problem.
Under Section 50 of the Act, it is the duty of the local authority to arrange
for the burial or cremation of the body of any person who has died in their area
if it appears that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have or
are being made. During the year four bodies were dealt with by the Council
under these provisions.
FOOD.
Regular inspections of food shops, restaurants and stores have again been
made and instruction given in hygienic food preparation and handling, particular
stress being paid to the importance of personal hygiene.
There is no doubt that the hygienic storage and handling of food has shown
improvement.
As will be seen in the Chief Sanitary Inspector's Report, a considerable
amount of food has been surrendered by the food traders and their applications
for examinations to be made of foodstuffs of which they are doubtful as to the
fitness helps to safeguard the purity of the food supply.