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requiring medical or nursing care or attention. They are mostly elderly
persons who are not suffering from any physical ailment or disability but
who cannot manage by themselves in their own homes. The welfare
authority helps such persons by arranging their admission to some of
their homes. The County Council has over the years acquired premises
for this use. Recently they have had to call a halt to expansion. This
is particularly unfortunate because of the growing demand for this type
of accommodation. There are people who are prepared to go to these
homes and by doing so would release housing units which could then be
available for the general population.
Enforced Removal. The sanitary authorities have powers under
Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, to move to suitable
premises persons who (a) are suffering from grave chronic diseases or
being aged, infirm or physically incapacitated are living in insanitary
conditions; and (b) are unable to devote to themselves and are not
receiving from others proper care and attention.
The original procedure was cumbersome and the amendment Act
now provides, if the Medical Officer of Health and another registered
medical practitioner certifies that it is necessary that a person shall be
removed without delay from the place he is living in, that an application
for a Removal Order may be made to the Court or to a single justice.
Up to this, no action has been taken in this district under the powers
given by this section.
Laundry Service. One of the big problems arising from the care
of some who ought really to be in hospital or in an institution but who
cannot be admitted there and therefore have to remain at home is the
soiling of the bedding and the clothing of the incontinent. This is more
particularly a problem of the aged but is not confined to them. There
are difficulties in such persons being helped. Local sanitary authorities
have very limited powers given them by Section 84 of the Public Health
Act, 1936, which authorises authorities to cause articles to be cleansed
in certain circumstances. The Hendon Group Hospital Management
Committee agreed to arrange for the actual work of treating the articles
of clothing to be done if the sanitary authority would meet the cost.
The Harrow Council agreed to this within the limit of their powers as
to the type of case to be helped. For the few who can be helped in this
way, the help is really substantial.
The arrangements which started in 1954 have worked smoothly. At
the beginning of the year 8 persons were being helped. There were
during the year 7 new cases. Because of death or removal from the
district the number provided with help at the end of the year was 6.
The period any patient had the help ranged from a month to a full
year. A person once helped might not need that help to be continued
because he has been admitted to hospital or has died. The average cost
per week of each person being helped is about 3s.
The Welfare Department has two other main responsibilities apart
from that of providing residential accommodation for some classes of
Person. One is to provide temporary accommodation for persons who
are in urgent need of it. The other is to provide for the welfare of persons