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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Hospitals
The situation in relation 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
as it relates to the provision of beds for the chronic sick,
especially the elderly chronic sick. As I stated in my Annual
Report for 1956, increased difficulties have 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 the existing housing conditions are remembered - has
been taken up with the hospitals serving the Borough. It is hoped
that the difficulties will at least be alleviated, if not largely
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 Wood Green is concerned is by no means clear Geriatric cases
from Wood Green are received into St. Michael s Hospital Enfield,
the North Middlesex Hospital and on occasions into Chase Farm
Hospital. On paper this arrangement may appear adequate. But
this is very far from being the case not because of lack of
good will on the part of the hospitals concerned but by reason
of the increasing demands for geriatric beds not to mention the
appalling shortage of staff
It is tragic in the extreme to find an elderly person who
is either not suffering from any specific disease or who has
reached a stage where anything resembling a permanent or even a
partial cure is out of the question and to be told that there is
no bed available in a hospital for these pitiable cases Such
tragedies are very definitely increasing and present what is
virtually an insuperable problem The Health Services provided
by the County Council in Area No 2 certainly afford as much
amelioration as is possible. Health Visitors regularly visit
these old people home nurses are available for daily or even
more frequent visits while the Home Help Service can also help.
But two things must be remembered These measures helpful
though they are are only palliative. A time must come when the
answer, and the only answer is admission to a hospital or to an
Old Persons Home And even here it must never be forgotten that
persons can only be admitted to an Old Persons Home if they are
able to look after themselves And it is precisely the type of
old person who is quite incapable by reason of age and infirmity
to fend for themselves which presents the real problem
The second point is the fact that the staff available to
look after old persons in their own homes is extremely limited
while I need scarcely say that there are many other very important
duties to be performed. This is particularly so in the case
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