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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Hospitals.
There is little I can add to the remarks which I made last year
in regard to the Hospital Services available to the burgesses of
Southgate.
The position in regard to the Medical Officer of Health, how
ever, so far as admissions to hospital are concerned, is still not
entirely clear, either to patients or even to certain members of the
medical profession. Briefly, the Medical Officer of Health has no
power to admit a person to hospital, except in special circumstances.
We can certainly arrange for the admission of a case of infectious
disease to hospital, where admission to hospital is required. As this
eventually seldom arises, except in cases of overcrowding or where
both breadwinners go out to work, this is a problem which presents
little difficulty. I should, however, like to express my thanks to
Coppetts Wood Hospital, South Lodge Hospital and St. Ann's
Hospital for the help which they invariably provide in arranging
for a case to be taken into hospital when asked to do so. The
other step which can be taken by a Medical Officer of Health is
for the admission to hospital of patients who are in need of care and
attention, who may be a danger to themselves or to other persons
and who refuse admission to hospital. Such action is taken under
Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, 1948. Fortunately, as
action under this Act is by no means a pleasant procedure, and
seldom yields satisfactory results, we have so far always been able
to deal with the matter in other ways. Tact and persuasion can do
a lot, and have invariably enabled us to secure the consent of even
the most stubborn patient who, up till then, had adamantly refused
the care and attention required in hospital.
There still seems to be a very live belief, however, that the
Medical Officer of Health can arrange for the admission of cases
to hospital in any circumstances. That is far from being the case.
The duty of arranging the removal to hospital of a patient lies
fairly and squarely with the family doctor, and not with the local
authority. I have, however, been able to help in many cases,
by supporting the general practitioner in regard to removal to
hospital, especially in the case of the chronic sick. I can only do so,
however, when the family doctor has made an application for the
removal of a patient to a specific hospital and has been told that this
removal coult not be effected. I then add my weight and have,
as I have just said, secured the Co-operation of the hospital concerned
in almost every case with which I was asked to deal.
I am always only too happy to take this action as, although
it is not the duty of the Medical Officer of Health to arrange for
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