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44
Case No. 6.
An old gentleman was living in a single room. Owing to his
insanitary habits, he had become a nuisance to those living in the
remainder of the house, and they made representation to the Town
Hall.
He was found to be dirty, infirm, unable to look after himself,
and living in conditions of absolute squalor. He was unwilling to
enter an institution. The National Assistance Act was invoked. So
filthy was his room that home helps would not do anything temporarily
while the case was being prepared. An attempt was made
to elucidate whom we should address as "the person managing the
premises" in the case of hospital or institutional disposal, and
further, we sought some definite assurance that priority admission
would be accorded to persons who had been dealt with under the
Assistance Act.
In the case of institutional provision, Middlesex County Council
stated that if they were given notice they would, if possible, give
the name of an establishment to which the notice could be addressed,
and that they would endeavour to reserve the first vacancy occurring
at that establishment at about the anticipated date of the Order.
When the North-East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board
was approached, it opined that notice should be given to the
Secretary of the Hospital Management Committee for the area concerned.
A further approach was made to the Regional Hospital
Board, pointing out that the hospital accommodation under the
control of the local Hospital Management Committee did not seem
suited in type or extent to the expeditious reception of the chronic
class of case that would most usually lead to action undeR the National
Assistance Act, and it was suggested that as the Regional Hospital
Board had control of sufficient hospital accommodation, admissions
to hospital could be made with much greater expedition were the
Board to accept responsibility and nominate someone to be addressed
as "the person managing the premises." The North-East Regional
Board replied, suggesting as before, that notice should be given to
the Secretary of the Local Hospital Management Committee.
From this correspondence it will be evident that there was no
delay in determining the procedure for having the old gentleman
admitted to an institution, the choice of disposal originally indicated
by his condition. The preparation of the case having concluded, a
date was received for the hearing at court, and the old gentleman