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Legislation passed during the year gives local authorities further powers to
enable them to deal expeditiously with certain cases of persons in need of care and
attention. Where the Medical Officer of Health and another registered medical
practitioner certify that in their opinion it is necessary that a person should be
removed without delay (as provided for by Section 47 of the National Assistance
Act, 1948), an application for a removal order may be made to the Court or to a
single justice without giving the person whose removal it is desired to secure the
requisite seven days' notice, as required by the Act of 1948. The Council have
authorised me to make any such applications and to take all the necessary steps
in those cases to which the amendment Act applies.
Welfare of Aged and Infirm Persons.
Much useful work in helping old people to live contented and interesting lives
has again been carried out by the several official and voluntary bodies concerned.
The Council's woman inspector devotes almost all her time to this work,
and altogether during 1951, 1,620 visits were made to the homes of the elderly.
This is some 458 more visits than were made the previous year.
Once again the necessary close co-operation between the Department, general
practitioners, hospitals and institutions, the National Assistance Board, the Home
Help service, the district nurses and others has been maintained. I should like to
take this opportunity of acknowledging the unfailing help received from these
individuals and organisations. Their ready assistance has helped on many an
occasion to solve a pressing problem.
It must not be thought that there is any overlapping in visiting between the
Health Department, the Council of Social Service and other visitors. While all
requests for a visit are met, the Department is primarily concerned with the health
and hygiene of the old person and his accommodation. Where this is or may soon
become a problem all assistance is given and subsequent visits made as necessary.
Where it is not a problem the old person is put in touch with the agency appropriate
to his requirements.
An average of 60 visits per week are made to elderly people by visitors on
behalf of the Council of Social Service through its Old People's Welfare Committee.
All visitors are supplied with notes for guidance and report forms to return. The
visitors call regularly and give special help when any particular need arises. Some
do shopping, change library books, carry in coals, write letters, undertake repairs
to wireless sets, etc., and arrangements are made with the National Assistance
Board in some cases for pensions to be drawn on behalf of the old people.
A good meal is of major importance and a great deal is being done in the
Borough by the Plumstead Lunch Club and by the recently formed Eltham Lunch
Club. The Plumstead Lunch Club has now been in existence since 1943, and meets
the needs of old people for a hot mid-day meal at a reasonable cost. The Eltham
Lunch Club was formed at the end of 1951 and it is already well established and
proving itself to be indispensable.
I am indebted to the Woolwich Council of Social Service for the following
details of the work of the Eltham and Plumstead Lunch Clubs:—
Plumstead Lunch Club. This Club serves a two-course meal to old age pensioners
on six days a week for a charge of 8d. per head. Since the closure during 1951
of the County Council's Pippin Restaurant on the premises, the meals have been
supplied from the Borough Council's Civic Restaurant at the Plumstead Baths at
a cost of 1s. 2d. per head. The County Council Welfare Committee makes a contribution
of 6d. per meal to meet the full cost, on condition that the old people
pay not more than 8d. The Lunch Club is managed by a paid supervisor and the
meals are served by a team of voluntary workers who attend on a rota basis. The
present membership of the Club is approximately 250, and the number of meals
served each month averages 2,000. A grant of £411 has been made by the Borough
Council for the year 1951-52.
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