View report page

General Health and Welfare Services
National Assistance Act 1948.
National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951.
Removal to Suitable Premises of Persons in Need of Care
A number of cases reported to the Department with a view to possible aotion
under these Acts during the year. Special visits were made and in no case was it
found necessary to remove the patient compulsorily. The Department was successful
in either persuading the patients to enter a hospital or hostel voluntarily or in
providing services such as Home Nursing, Domestic Help, etc., with which the
patient was able to be supported in his own home.
EPILEPSY
A. Children
There is no change in the arrangements whereby all children between the ages of
2 years and l6 years found to be suffering from epilepsy are referred to the School
Health Service for examination and any necessary action. If special educational
treatment is needed and cannot be met in the ordinary day school, arrangements are
made for the child's admission to either a special day or residential school. The

B. Adults
As there is no complete registration of persons suffering from epilepsy it is
not possible to give a true picture of this defect. It is usually the more severe
cases which come to notice and if such cases are in need of residential accommodation
this is arranged by the Welfare Department under Part III of the National Assistance
Act, 1948.

In some further cases known to this Department the epilepsy is associated with a
degree of mental deficiency. If institutional care is not required such cases may be
placed under superivision in accordance with the provisions of the Mental Deficiency Acts.
81