[Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Leatherhead U.D.C.

  • Leatherhead (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1952
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Leatherhead U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/60 (page 7)
    NATIONAL. ASS ISTAITOE ACTS, 1948 and 1951 Section 47 of this Act gave power to local authorities to take steps to deal with persons suffering from chronic illness or infirmity, who for one reason or another are not receiving proper care and attention, and who are unable to manage for themselves. As might be expected, the majority of those are old people, who, in addition to physical illness, have some loss of mental power sufficient to curtail their reasoning powers but not serious enough to require their admission to hospitals for mental illness. There is a tendency for some of these old people to cut themselves off from relatives and friends and to refp.se all help, and the conditions in which they live may reach a deplorable state of neglect before it is realised by relatives or neighbours that the matter should be reported to the Me diced. Officer of Health or to the Welfare Officer, Removal to hospital or other institution may then bo a matter of some urgency to safeguard the invalid1s life and to permit the removal of filth and rubbish from the existing accommodation. Under the 1948 Act, power was given to the local authority to apply to the Magistrates Court for an Order to obtain the compulsory removal, for a period not exceeding three months, of a person found in such conditions. As the result of experience, it was found that the time taken to comply with the legal requirements of the Act in obtaining an Order for compulsory removal was so long that the practical value of the powers given by the Act to local authorities was curtailed. An amending Act which came into force in 1951 enables authorities to adopt a more expeditious procedure in cases requiring urgent attention. No action was taken under this section of the Act during tho year. NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT,. 1948 - SECTION 50 BURIAL OF THE DEAD The Council made arrangements for burial under this section in tho case of two deceased persons. (7)