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people's home - Amy Woodgate House, Kingston Hill, of 50 beds.
Waratah, at Sanderstead, also reopened earlier in the year after
being closed for extensive improvements. However, many more beds are still
required. 38 beds have to be found for Kingston people resident in
Kingsmead, Richmond. A number of the present homes are unsuitable or too
smallp and will need to be replaced when other accommodation can be provided.
The use of beds to provide short term care for old people in both
the welfare homes and hospitals to give relief to relatives is an important
service, and may delay or sometimes prevent the necessity for full time
admission.
Special attention has been given to the improvement of staff
accommodation which helps to retain staff and aids recruitment.
The output of the Meals-on-Wheels Service again increased.
Unfortunately the present poor kitchen accommodation is unlikely to be
replaced for another two years.
The provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act
1970 enable local authorities to give a great deal of additional help to
handicapped persons, but it will obviously be some time before the Act can
be fully implemented.
The number of handicapped persons on the register increased
by 136.
Environmental Health Section
The year was one of continuing vigilance in all sections of the
work, with an increased involvement in the improvement of older houses,
including improvement areas under the Housing Act 1969.
School Health Service
The population of maintained schools in the borough increased by
440 children during the year.
Of the 5,857 children examined at periodic medical inspection, 680,
or 11,8 per cent were found to be in need of treatment. This compares with
12.9 per cent for 1969. Of those examined only five children were found to
be in an unsatisfactory physical condition.