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authorities are concerned. Although the problem of old age is
predominantly a welfare matter, it will be obvious that it is one
which cannot be disassociated with public health.
Up to the moment, our activities have mainly been directed
towards the supply of Home Helps and Home Nurses, where admission
to hospital is either undesirable or cannot be arranged. We
also use our Health Visitors to visit old people in their homes,
while we assist at least one large hospital in paying geriatric visits.
I am especially perturbed to think that cases of extreme hardship
occur among old people which may never come to our
attention. For this reason I recently addressed a letter to general
practitioners and to local organisations, asking them to let us know
whenever such cases are discovered, so that we might play our part
in helping to effect a remedy. I have also instructed my staff to
act in a similar capacity.
There is no doubt that the question of old age and its problems
is one which is not only here to stay, but which will obviously
increase. I am of opinion that steps might be taken to correlate
the activities of all the various bodies engaged in this work, so that
over-lapping could be avoided and the best practical results
achieved in the shortest time.
15. Co-operation
A feature of our work in Area No. 2 has always been cooperation
with other bodies. I am happy to think that we offer and
receive cordial co-operation from those other authorities and bodies
with whom we come into contact. Thus, our relations with the
district councils which constitute the Area, with Hospital Management
Committees and hospitals generally, with general practitioners
and with voluntary bodies, have been close and cordial. I am
completely satisfied that this aspect of our work is important, and
that it must never be neglected.
As an instance of what is being done, it might be noted that
the Area Health Staff is represented on the Executive Committee
of the North Middlesex Division of the British Medical Association,
the Liaison Committee set up by the same Division, the Northern
Group Medical Advisory Committee, various Old People's Welfare
Committees, local Social Service Councils, and the Executive
Committee of the Southgate Physiotherapy Association. The fact
that I am Medical Officer of Health for three of the constituent
districts making up Area No. 2, and that the Deputy Area Medical
Officer is my Deputy in two of these districts, is also of the greatest
value.
The Committee will remember that an attempt was made
during 1953 to interest general practitioners and head teachers in
the work of our clinics, by inviting them to " Open Days " at each
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