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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Hospitals
The situation in regard to the availability of hospital beds
is still more or less the same as that recorded in my Annual Reports
for the last few years Difficulties met with still centre round
the provision of sufficient Beds for the chronic sick particularly
the elderly chronic sick
So far as the provision of beds for the elderly chronic sick
is concerned this is a matter which I have continued to pursue
with the utmost vigour There is, in Wood Green a high percent
age of old people, many living on a pension and many living
alone Although these old people do not shout their difficulties
from the housetops it needs very little imagination to appreciate
their unfortunate situation It must be appreciated, of
course, that the responsibility for having anyone admitted to
hospital rests with the general practitioner I have, however,
never hesitated to support general practitioners in their endeavour
to have elderly persons removed to hospital I am happy to be able
to state that on a number of occasions the added weight and evi
dence which I have been able to put forward has been of use
The Public Health Department plays its part in conjunction
with the Area Health Office in trying to arrange for the admission
of the most deserving old folk to a home or institution when
this is the only course available. The co-operation between the
two departments is close and has certainly resulted in easing the
burden of quite a number of old people, We are only too conscious
of our limitation but we can at least take up the cudgels on
behalf of every old person whose needs are brought to our notice
or where we leam of these needs in any other way This we invar
iabiy do. The problem is increasing rapidly increasing This is
a fact which must be faced and faced with the utmost determination
Care of the Aged
It would be a truism to say that care of the aged now has
an established place in the health programme of the Borough More
and more is now being done to help those who have reached the
eventide of life and who, through no fault of their own, are
dependent on others, very often strangers or mere acquaintances
for little more than the bare necessities of life I should like
to pay a very sincere tribute here to the work carried out by
the Old People's Welfare Committee One has only to look at this
problem to appreciate its magnitude and to realise the impact
which is being made by this Committee Much obviously remains to
be done, but the Borough Council, because of the great support
which it has given to the Old People's Welfare Committee and be
cause of the prominent part played by members of the Council, can
at least have the satisfaction of knowing that the problem is
being actively tackled in the Borough
Until we can be sure that the welfare of the older age groups
of the population age groups which are extending every year,
remains in the forefront of our minds and until we can be sure
that all practical steps are being taken to give this matter the
attention it demands,we should not, indeed we cannot stand aside
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