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MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.
Daring the year eighty medical examinations were carried out
at the Public Health Department, 2, Shalston Villas, These included
the examination of new entrants to the Council's service, also
members of staff attaining the age of 18 years to determin their
suitability for acceptance under the Superannuation Scheme, members
of the Borough Engineer's outdoor staff after completing six months'
service to determine their suitability for entry into the Council's
Sick Pay Scheme, also to examine special cases referred for
investigation. The latter usually necessitated a considerable
amount of correspondence with private doctors and hospital
specialists.
WELFARE OF OLD PEOPLE.
There is in the Borough much voluntary work devoted to this
cause such as provision of weekly clubs, daily centre, arranging
seaside holidays, distribution of Christmas gifts and visiting of
house-bound.
The work is co-ordinated through the Surbiton Old People's
Welfare Committee, a voluntary body representative of most walks
of life and presided over by The Worshipful the Mayor.
The Town Council leases to the Committee a large house known
as "Alfriston", Berrylands Road, which after extensive works of
repair and re-decoration, was opened in September 1958 as a Centre
for old people, including clubrooms, recreation rooms, handicraft
room, chiropody clinic and canteen. The chiropody service is now
being conducted on behalf of the County Council.
A meals on wheels service is operated by the Surbiton Division
of the British Red Cross Society, and the Council makes a generous
contribution towards the cost involved. The number of subsidised
mid-day meals distributed during the year was approximately 4,680.
The Borough Council has provided one hundred and six special
flats for aged people.
There can be no exaggeration of the importance of this work
for the old people, or of its increasing urgency as year succeeds
year and more survive to the older age groups.
The decision of the Council to increase its annual grant to
the Old People's Welfare Committee to £1,500 is a gesture which
should enable that Committee to extend its work for the elderly in
ways which it has hitherto been unable to do owing to lack of
finance.
CO-ORDINATION OF HEALTH AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES.
In 1957 a committee of the Council was formed to consider and
report upon methods of co-operation between the Town Council and
other bodies concerned with the health and other social services
within the Borough, to assist if required in the co-ordination of
such work, and to examine ways of encouraging recruitment of more
voluntary workers.
The need for such work was indicated by the consideration of
the Housing Committee of the previously published report of the
working Party of the Surrey County Council on the Prevention of
Break-up of Families. There was also a conference between the
Housing Committee, the Old People's Welfare Committee and the W.V.S.
at which all aspects of the provision of services for the elderly
was discussed.
The matter has not developed further, and it now seems
unlikely to do so until the London re-organisation scheme becomes
operative on 1st April 1965.
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