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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Hospitals
The provision of hospital beds for Wood Green residents has
shown no material alteration since my last Report was issued. On
the whole, from what I learn, the admission of acute cases to
hospital, both medical, surgical and gynaecological, has shown a
tendency to ease, although it could not yet be said that the
situation is entirely satisfactory.Until recently,most hospitals
had comparatively lengthy waiting lists for children requiring
admission to hospital for the removal of tonsils and adenoids. I
am informed that these waiting lists have been drastically reduced,
although it must be admitted that many of us are still not entirely
satisfied that the removal of tonsils and adenoids is always
confined to those cases where operative treatment is definitely
indicated. That, however, is a matter over which I have little
control, either as Medical officer or as Area Medical officer.
The demand for maternity beds in hospitals has started to fall
and will continue to fall in almost direct proportion to the
availability of adequate housing. Where a hospital bed, in fact,
was required little difficulty was found in arranging for this
to be provided.
When it comes to the admission to a chronic hospital or to
an institution of elderly, infirm persons, the position is still
extremely gloomy. It must be appreciated that,when hospital beds
are at a premium,these beds should most readily be available for
acute cases who require careful nursing and supervision,possibly
with an operation. On the other hand, we know only too well that
numbers of elderly,infirm persons have to remain at home,receiving
only such attention as can be provided by the Home Nursing
and Home Help Services and by charitable neighbours and voluntary
organisations. We are quite aware that our domiciliary services
are designed to reduce the demand on hospital beds indeed, that
is the principal which we always have before us.There must still,
however, be a percentage of elderly persons who should be in a
chronic hospital because they cannot receive adequate attention
in their own homes. In many cases those unfortunate individuals
are virtually left alone for lengthy periods, both by day and by
night, since the most that can be arranged is periodic visits
from one or more of the sources indicated above.This is far from
satisfactory, and must surely be regarded as a stigma on the
social services available to the most vulnerable section of our
community.
Although I am a member of several Committees which are intimately
concerned with the hospital services, and although ray
numerous protests have always been sympathetically received, it
is still obvious that liaison between the services provided by
the Regional Hospital Board and the needs of the local authority
presents many serious gaps.The situation has certainly improved,
while we must remember that the present system has only been in
operation since 1948. Those of us engaged in the public health
service feel very strongly that the emphasis placed on curative
rather than preventive medicine in the National Health Service
Act is not entirely in the National interest. No one would deny
the wonderful work being carried out by Hospital Boards throughout
the country, nor can one shut one's eyes to the obvious
difficulties presented by the post war social system. One would
have hoped however, that during the seven years over which the
National Health Service has been operating,the obvious drawbacks
might have been noted and an adequate remedy devised.
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