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9. MORTUARIES
There are two mortuaries in the Borough; one provided by the former Richmond
Borough Council on a site close to the Petty Sessions Court and the other provided by
the former Twickenham Borough Council in the grounds of the Public Library at
Hampton.
In recent years the Mortuary at Hampton has been upgraded to recommended
standards. Due to inherent difficulties of siting and congestion the Richmond Mortuary
is not up to this standard and the need for further deliberation as to its future has been
demonstrated. The number of bodies admitted to the two Mortuaries during the year
was: —
Richmond 276
Hampton 565
10. LAUNDRY SERVICE
A laundry service for incontinent patients is provided. The service is confined
exclusively to incontinent patients, and articles laundered are limited to sheets and draw
sheets.
The service is provided twice weekly throughout the year. Soiled sheets are
collected and at the same time an appropriate number of laundered sheets is delivered
to the patient. The service is of great benefit to those who use it and is expanding.
Early in the year it became apparent that the former Richmond Corporation
Laundry (Baths department) and the private laundry at Staines which carried out a
comparatively small amount of work for the former Richmond and Twickenham Bor
oughs would not be able to cope with the increased load; arrangements were accordingly
made with a local private laundry to deal with all the soiled sheets throughout the
Borough.
These arrangements are working satisfactorily.
At the end of the year under review there were 29 cases on the books.
Incontinent pads are used where the degree of incontinence does not require the
sheet service and where the patient is doubly incontinent thus reducing the laundering of
soiled bed linen. The pads are normally distributed by the district nurses, but where
a laundry service for incontinent persons is also in operation, pads are sometimes
delivered by the van driver. Used pads are collected and destroyed whenever disposal
is requested because the householder has difficulty in dealing with this type of refuse.
Soiled dressings (including maternity debris) are also collected and disposed of in
the same manner, generally on the request of the domiciliary nursing staff.
There is an increasing call for this service and during the year nearly 900 col'
lections were made.
11. DISEASES OF ANIMALS ACT, 1950
The Council accepted the offer from the Corporation of London to act as agents
for the Council in respect of their responsibilities under the above Act and I am
indebted to Mr. G. S. Wiggins, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Officer, Corporation of
London, for his observations as follows:—
"Duties were concerned solely with the Diseases of Animals Act and not with any
of the allied Acts.
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