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Requests are received from General Practitioners, Hospitals, Social Workers and others, and a
member of the District Nursing Service visits patients to assess their needs.
When patients have difficulty in disposing of soiled pads in their homes, the Council arranges for
them to be collected and disposed of by incineration at the Greater London Council refuse disposal plant at
Alperton.
VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
Vaccination and immunisation of children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, poliomyelitis
and smallpox was undertaken by Assistant Medical Officers at the Council's Clinics and by General
Practitioners as set out in the following programme: —
Age Immunised against
2— 6 months Diphtheria/tetanus/whooping cough
6—11 „ Poliomyelitis
13—24 „ Smallpox
18—21 „ Diphtheria/tetanus/whooping cough
(reinforced injection approximately one year after
initial course).
Further immunisation by an adsorbed vaccine against diphtheria/tetanus, and a reinforcing injection
against poliomyelitis were undertaken at school entry.

RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAY HOMES
The authority is empowered to arrange the admission of patients recommended by general practitioners,
hospitals and clinics to recuperative homes, provided their medical condition is such as to indicate
that they require no form of medical or nursing care, are able to walk and dress unaided, and fit to travel
by normal public transport. The arrangements are intended for patients requiring a short period of rest, fresh
air and good food to complete their recovery from a recent illness or set-back in health.
Patients in need of any form of medical and nursing care requiring convalescence are the responsibility
of the Regional Hospital Board.
During the year, the authority accepted financial responsibility for the maintenance of 144 persons
in recuperative holiday homes. Of these, 118 were admitted to such homes and 26 were cancelled or withdrawn.
Of the 118 cases admitted, 107 were adults and 11 were children under school age.
In addition, 45 school children were placed in recuperative homes under Section 48 of the Education
Act, 1944.
CHIROPODY (Table 13)
A chiropody service is provided by the Council for the treatment of the elderly, the physically
handicapped, expectant and nursing mothers and children under 5 years of age.
This service was provided in the main by the direct employment of chiropodists by the Council,
partly by arrangement with certain private chiropodists, and partly by arrangement with voluntary organisations.
Where treatment could not, because of the patient's age or handicap, be given at a clinic or surgery,
arrangements were made for a chiropodist to visit the patient's home.
Valuable assistance was given to this service by the British Red Cross Society and by the Willesden
Old Folks' Association. The chiropody service arranged by the latter association was transferred to the
Borough on 1st April, 1966.
Chiropody treatment for school children was provided under the Education Act, 1944 (see Table 66).
In December, the Council accepted an estimate in the sum of £947 for the provision of a chiropody
room at Neasden Clinic. The work will be commenced early in 1967.