View report page

12
In addition, 29 school children were placed in recuperative homes under Section 48 of the Education
Act, 1944.
CHIROPODY
The number of patients receiving treatment increased during the year and included the elderly,
physically handicapped, expectant and nursing mothers and children. The majority attended the Council's
clinics.
Housebound elderly and handicapped persons were visited in their own homes. The chiropodists
advised parents on the care of their children's feet and the wearing of suitable shoes.
Patients in need of treatment were brought to the notice of the Department by doctors, health
visitors, welfare workers and relatives. The chiropodist informed the Department of any help required from
the Health and Welfare services.
The figures set out in Table 14 include the treatments carried out by the British Red Cross Society on
behalf of the Council.
The Willesden Old Folks' Association administered a chiropody service on behalf of the Middlesex
County Council until 31st March, and subsequently acted as agents for the Brent Council. For details see
Page 24.
HOME HELP SERVICE
There were 1,108 applications for the service in 1965, an increase of 425 compared with the previous
year. The number of cases still receiving help at the end of the year also increased from 690 to 906.
Three tuberculosis cases weres helped, and help was provided free to two mothers suffering from
toxaemia of pregnancy. One hundred and fifty-seven bookings were taken for confinements, but only 83 were
helped, including two 48-hour discharge cases in which the help was given free. The remainder made other
arrangements.
There were 75 full-time equivalent home helps employed at the end of the year at an hourly rate
of 4/10 3/8d. The charge to the public remained at 4/9d. Seven persons were employed as neighbourly heilps,
but only three were still working at the end of the year.
The Organisers made a total of 5,493 home visits.
LOAN OF NURSING EQUIPMENT
The Middlesex Branch of the British Red Cross Society continues to operate the loan of nursing
equipment scheme on behalf of the Council.
Under these arrangements a hire charge is collected from the patients by the British Red Cross
Society and retained by the Society to enable it to purchase replacement equipment as required. If the
patient is unable to meet the hire charge it is paid by the Council. During 1965, 2,724 articles were loaned
to patients. The Council may also purchase additional equipment required to meet requests for the loan of
articles on the approved list. Transport required for the collection and delivery of bulky articles is provided
by the Council.
During the financial year 1965/1966 the Council paid to the British Red Cross Society £647 8s. 6d.
in respect of patients' hire charges.
In general, the scheme is intended to facilitate simple, short-term nursing care in the patient's home.
Certain items of catheterisation equipment are provided as a personal issue to paraplegic patients to enable
them to care for themselves in their own homes. Other items of equipment are purchased in special cases, e.g.
alternating pressure point pad units, designed to reduce the risk of the occurrence of bed soars in bedfast
patients.
TUBERCULOSIS (Tables 15-18)
Mortality and Morbidity.
There were six deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis among men and one among women with the
now usual shift to the older age groups. The death rate was 2 per 100,000 population compared with a rate
of 3 last year.
Three of the deaths occurred in two elderly men and an elderly woman previously unknown to the
health authorities. This indicates that in spite of the improvement in case finding methods, there is still a
reservoir of infection among older people in the community, which holds special hazards for the young and
unprotected. In view of this 'hard core' of tuberculosis infection, B.C.G. vaccination is an important preventive
measure offered to all school leavers to raise their resistance to the disease. This is very necessary
during adolescence when the risk of infection is higher and many new stresses have to be faced (for details
of B.C.G. vaccination of school leavers see Annual Report of the Principal School Medical Officer, page 58).
There was a very slight increase in notification (107) compared with the previous year (105). The
number of cases of pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis on the register at the end of the year was
2,523, an increase of 13 over 1964.