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39
were obliged to spend two or three twelve-hour sessions each
week in a special hospital unit where they could have the
inpurities removed from their blood with a 'kidney machine.
Essentially a kidney machine consists of a large area of
permeable membrane through which toxic substances can be
filtered. Within the last two years more machines suitable for
installation In ordinary homes have become available and are
supplied by the Regional Hospital Board to patients on a
highly selective basis. The advantages of home dialysis are
obvious. Wearisome journeys are cut out, domestic life continues
in a normal way and patients are often able to continue
at work.
Under the National Health Service Act, Section 28, Care
and After-care, an obligation rests upon the local authority to
see homes are suitably converted. The coat of this conversion
to the patient depends on his or her resources, but charges and
spread of payment are arrived at using liberal criteria. I should
like to express the appreciation of this Department to the
Borough Engineer for the interest taken in this specialised
work and for the speed and imagination used by their Department
in their first venture into this field.
I am quite sure we will do more and more work for the
Hospital Renal Units as they receive increased numbers of
Dialyslng Units from the manufacturers and patients themselves
demand the independence that home dialysis gives them.
Convalescent
Treatment
This service was continued on similar lines as in previous
years. The total number of cases being sent away for a recuperative
holiday during 1967 was 129 an increase of 14% over
1966.
The majority of the cases are referred by hospitals and
general practitioners for two weeks convalescent but some
conditions are considered to need three weeks.
There was no change in the contribution towards the cost
of the convalescent holiday.
Provision of
Sick Room
Equipment
The Department continued to issue items of sickroom
equipment to necessitous cases being nursed at home.
Apart from the items available (see Appendix 14) disposable
paper pads for incontinent patients are issued and when
requested the soiled sheets can be collected and disposed of
in a Local furnace.
Protective clothing for certain types of incontinent people
continues to be available on medical recommendation.