[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Staffordshire County Council.

  • Staffordshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Staffordshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    78/104 (page 78)
    The provisions of this Section of the Act empower the Local Health Authority to recover reasonable charges from persons availing themselves of the services provided, subject to consideration of their means. The foregoing table indicates to what extent there was recovery or partial recovery of charges during the year. In addition to the foregoing, the Welfare Officers are concerned with the provision of travelling warrants to relatives to enable them to visit patients in hospital in accordance with the Ministry of Health Circular 85/49, particulars of which were given in the Annual Report for that year. During the year 52 applications for the facility were received. In 41 instances full travelling expenses were allowed. In the remaining 11 instances it was found the financial circumstances were such that 4 were allowed part expenses and 7 cases could not be considered to be necessitous ones, so that the County Council could not pay the travelling expenses involved. CARE OF OLD PEOPLE In the Report for 1953 particulars were given of the scheme inaug- urated by the Health Committee for the visitation of old people and here again the Welfare Officers visit the old people and advise and assist wherever necessary. As mentioned previously, the latter have been classi¬ fied in five categories as follows :— (•1) Appropriately provided for as regards accommodation, money and domestic assistance or care from relatives ; needing no, or only slight, help from public sources ; not lacking such social contacts as are appropriate ; adequately nursed and treated at home if infirm, i.e., those about whom no anxiety need be felt. (2) In reasonable health and not without material necessities (e.g.. food, shelter, clothing, ability to pay for household help), but lonely and lacking social contacts and relatives or friends able and willing to take an interest in them, i.e., those whose main need is sympathetic visiting and observation, old people’s clubs, holidays and other outside interests. (3) Needing substantial assistance from public and/or voluntary services (e.g., domestic helps, home nursing, social workers, someone to shop and collect pensions, etc.), but who with such assistance could be adequately cared for at home. (4) “ Chronic sick ” or seriously demented requiring more nursing care, supervision and treatment than could be provided in their homes and whose real need is a hospital bed, though the domi¬ ciliary services may be required while a bed is awaited. (5) Those (whether sick or not) living in grossly insanitary conditions such as to require initial action by the District Medical Officer of Health to secure cleansing or removal. Cases are brought to the notice of the Welfare Officers in various ways, i.e.. Health Visitors, General Nurses, General Practitioners, Medical Officers of Health, Housing Welfare Officers, National Assistance Board, etc.