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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Hospitals.
The situation as it relates to the availability of hospital beds
has not altered appreciably from that recorded in my Annual
Reports for the last few years. The problem is still most acute
in regard to the provision of beds for the chronic sick, especially
the elderly chronic sick. As I stated in my Annual Report for
1956, difficulties have also tended to arise in the provision of
maternity beds. This is specifically the case in so far as
the provision of a hospital bed on social rather than medical
grounds is concerned. This matter—a very important matter when
existing housing conditions are remembered—has been taken up
with the maternity hospitals serving the Borough. It is hoped that
the difficulties will at least be alleviated, if not substantially removed.
The admission to hospital of old people who are suffering
from what might be described as the normal infirmities of old age,
presents a problem which grows in size and in intensity year by
year, almost month by month. Unfortunately, the situation so far
as Southgate is concerned is by no means clear. After considerable
negotiations, Highlands Hospital, the general hospital which serves
the Borough, has agreed to accept geriatric cases from as much of
the N.14 and N.21 postal districts as can be accommodated. This
is certainly a considerable improvement on the state of affairs
which existed not so long ago, when it was virtually impossible to
secure the admission of a geriatric case to Highlands Hospital because
of the hospital's commitments in Inner London. Although the
position has certainly improved, it is still by no means satisfactory.
The whole of the Borough is not yet covered, while accommodation,
even for those parts of the district specified above, is not always
available. I hasten to add that Highlands Hospital is always
cO'Operative, and has done everything possible to fulfil and to
extend its obligations. The geriatric service at Highlands Hospital
has been appreciably extended, so that we look forward eagerly
to the day when a full geriatric service will be at our disposal and
when geriatric cases from the whole of the Borough can be freely
admitted to Highlands Hospital.
Geriatric cases from Southgate are also received into St.
Michael's Hospital, Enfield, the North Middlesex Hospital and, on
occasion, into Chase Farm Hospital. On paper, this arrangement
may appear adequate. But this is very far from being the case ; not
because of any lack of goodwill on the part of the hospitals
concerned, but by reason of the increasing demand for geriatric
beds, not to mention the appalling shortage of staff.
It is tragic in the extreme to find an elderly and infirm person
who is either not suffering from any specific disease or who has
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