[Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough.

  • Middlesbrough (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1956
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    46/116 (page 44)
    NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948. Care of Old People. The remarks on the working of this service in the report for 1954 and the using of Section 47 of the Act are still valid. Proceedings under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act were instituted in one case but did not reach the Court, as shortly before the hearing was due, the old man decided to go voluntarily to a Welfare Institution. Care of the Blind and Partially Sighted. The registration and visitation of blind persons is carried out by the Cleveland and South Durham Institute for the Blind, acting as the voluntary agency for the Local Authority. On the 1st January, 1956, the Institute also took over the registration and visitation of partially sighted persons and the three home visitor/teachers were consequently seconded full-time to the agency. Liaison between the medical officer and the home visitor/teachers was retained by the continuation of a weekly con¬ ference held at the Health Department every Tuesday morning when a full discussion of blind and partially sighted cases took place. All cases referred for examination with a view to registration were visited by the home visitor/teachers and their reports sub¬ mitted to the Medical Officer of Health before ophthalmologist examination is arranged. On receipt of the completed Form B.D.8., information is forwarded to the family practitioner who is advised to consult the ophthalmologist regarding any treatment recom¬ mended. Blind Cases. Thirty new cases were registered during 1956, giving a total of blind persons of 300 compared with 298 in 1954 and 289 in 1955. Of the new cases registered 6 were due to cataract, 2 to glau¬ coma, 16 to other causes and six others had multiple ophthalmic defects. Treatment was recommended in 13 cases and on follow-up it was found that 7 had had the recommended treatment. Partially Sighted Cases. Twenty new cases were registered during the year and the total number on the register at the end of 1956 was 82, compared with 76 in the previous year. Ten cases were due to cataract, 2 cases to glaucoma, 6 to other causes and 2 to multiple defects. In the nine cases where treatment was recommended, on follow-up it was found that two patients had had treatment.