View report page

GENERAL PROVISIONS OF HEALTH SERVICES
Hospitals.—As noted in the Annual Report for 1948, the
administration of hospitals now rests with Regional Hospital
Boards. In the case of Southgate, the Borough comes within the
area administered by the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Board, although facilities are still provided for the admission
of cases to the North Middlesex Hospital, which is administered
by the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.
From reports received from general practitioners and also from
information received in the Public Health Department, it is
apparent that difficulty is still being met with in securing admission
of cases to hospital. This particularly applies to the chronic sick
and to the aged and infirm who are not suffering from any acute
or even specific disease. The circumstances surrounding many of
these cases are tragic. The valuable services provided by the
County Council, e.g. Home Help Service and Home Nursing Service,
are, of course, available, but can be regarded only as palliative
in this connection. 1 need scarcely point out that the Borough
Council has no say in the admission of cases to hospital, other than
those of infectious disease. It is none the less very trying for
officers of the Public Health Department to be aware of conditions
governing the admission of cases to hospital which impose great
hardship on individual families but which they have no power to
improve. The obvious difficulty lies in the availability of nursing
and to a lesser degree, domestic staff. Until this problem is solved
it is unlikely that betterment can be expected.
The arrangements whereby cases of infectious disease from the
Borough are admitted to South Lodge Hospital have worked very
well during the year. The medical and nursing attention available
at the hospital is of the highest order, and although staffing difficulties
at the Hospital have been great, every effort has invariably
been made to meet requests for admission.
Mortuary.—The position with regard to the Council mortuary
at the rear of the Town Hall is as set out in the report for 1946.
The Mortuary is still being maintained, and is available for use as
and when required. No post-mortem examinations were carried
out in the mortuary during the period under review.
Laboratory Facilities.—The arrangements set out in my
Annual Report for 1948 relating to laboratory facilities remain
unaltered.
As in the past, the Central Public Health Laboratory Service
has been of great assistance to us. The setting up of the branch
laboratory in Edmonton Town Hall referred to in last year's
Annual Report has been an advantage, and has allowed us to
maintain more close contact with the bacteriologist and technical
staff.
16