View report page

23
Health Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, and to such
extent as the Minister may direct make arrangements for the purposes of
the prevention of illness, the care of persons suffering from illness or
mental defectiveness and the after care of such persons." But there
would appear to be difficulties about these arrangements being made
under these powers. Local Sanitary Authorities have certain restricted
powers under Section 84 of the Public Health Act, 1936: "Where it
appears to a local authority upon a certificate of a Medical Officer of
Health or the Sanitary Inspector that any article in any premises (a) is in
so filthy a condition as to warrant its cleansing purification or destruction
in order to prevent injury or damage to the health of any persons in the
premises, or (b) is verminous ... the local authority shall cause that
article to be cleansed, purified, disinfected or destroyed as the case may
require at their expense." Anything done under these powers is limited
in scope and cannot be of general application. Some local authorities
have made use of their powers ; some provide a form of laundry service.
The Hendon Group Hospital Management Committee have for long
had this problem under consideration, and they were prepared to consider
arranging for the actual work of the treating of the articles and clothing
to be done if the Local Sanitary Authorities would meet the expense.
The Council agreed to this within the limit of their powers, as to the type
of case to be helped. At the end of the year it was learned that it was
likely that arrangements on these lines would be made. They would be
restricted to rather small numbers because of the restricted powers of
the Council. Nevertheless, for those who can be helped in this way, the
help would be of real benefit to the patients and to those who were looking
after them.
During the year a change was made in the arrangements by which
some elderly persons are supplied with meals by the Meals on Wheels
Service. Up to July these meals had been obtained from the kitchens at
Kodak Limited. Under the new arrangements they have been provided
from the Old People's Restaurant at the North Harrow Assembly Hall.
AMBULANCE SERVICE
Although the County Council decided that the Fire and Ambulance
Service should be run as one combined service, the combination of the
two services is limited to organisation and administration. Fire appliances
are manned by firemen specially enrolled and trained for that purpose,
and ambulances are manned by ambulance driver/attendants and
attendants.
"Ambulances specially equipped to deal with accidents and similar
emergencies are kept at 28 fire stations throughout the county. These
ambulances and their crews, who are trained in first-aid, are always
ready to respond immediately to accident and emergency calls. A call
which is received at a station when the ambulances are away attending
other calls is instantly transmitted to a control centre from which the
nearest available ambulance is ordered to answer the call.
"Sick removal cases far outnumber accident cases. Many vehicles
carry out the day to day task of transporting sick persons to and from