[Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council.

  • Shropshire Council
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/102 (page 11)
    The Hospital Management Committee and Regional Hospital Board have encouraged the idea of increasing Geriatric facilities in Shropshire. In June, 1957, representatives from the Hospital Management Committee with the Chairman and Secretary and Physicians from the Group Medical Committee, Practitioners, and members and officers of the County Council paid a two-day visit to London and saw several representative Geriatric Units, and discussed their organisation with the Physicians in charge. A week-end Course at Attingham Hall was organised in December, 1957, for the further study of this subject; and a large number of social workers and doctors from Shropshire and elsewhere enjoyed addresses from some of the nationally-renowned physicians who have given special study to the problems of old age. All who participated seemed to regard this as a successful enterprise, and thanks are due to the Sponsors—the Shropshire Medical Geriatrics Committee and the Shropshire Old Folks Welfare Committee, and particularly to Dr. Miller of Cressage, who was without doubt the initiator and moving spirit. The appointment from 1st June, 1958, of Dr. D. B. Irwin as Consultant Gerontologist for Shropshire fulfils what has long been felt desirable; and should further the interests of the many elderly people who, whether at home, in Hospital, or in residential Welfare accommodation, may have special problems which require to be resolved. Arrangements are already advanced for a second Course to be held at Attingham Hall during the week-end 19th to 21st December, 1958, when distinguished doctors will speak on some aspects of Retirement; and enquiries are invited from those who would like to attend. Those interested in the Care of the Elderly should also find the Sections on Evening Visitors and Night Helps on page 58 and on the Domestic Help Service on page 60 of value in recording some further provisions made by the Council in the field of Geriatrics. In the Home Helps Service, details of which are given on pages 60 to 62, 67 per cent, of the cases, and 83 per cent, of the hours worked by the Home Helps were devoted to assisting the elderly and chronic sick, contributing to their comfort and enabling them to stay in their own homes rather than enter Hospital or the residential accommodation provided by the Council as Local Welfare Authority. Some problems affecting expenditure on, and recovery of charges in respect of, the Home Help Service are alluded to on pages 61—62. The Report of the Principal Duly Authorised Officer on the Mental Health Services of the Council is given on pages 62 to 65. Table 81 (page 63) and the notes following it on page 64 are of special interest as showing the greatly increasing “turnover” of patients in the Hospital for Mental Diseases and this in turn suggests that as better understanding of Mental Hospital Services grows, patients enter hospital earlier, and are the earlier fit for discharge. Table 82 on page 64 gives particulars of children deemed “ineducable” after special examina¬ tion, and who were therefore notified as such by the Education Committee to the Health Com¬ mittee so that the latter might assume responsibility for their care. The work done for both adults and children by our Duly Authorised Officers is appreciated by patients and their relatives and family doctors, and reflects credit on the Council as the Authority for this work, on the Health Department, and on these conscientious and able officers themselves; and I am glad to record our acknowledgements. The Inspection and Supervision of Foods under the Food and Drugs Act of 1955 are carried out for the Health Department by the County Sanitary Officer and his Deputy and by two Sampling Officers. The value of this unobtrusive but necessary service is reflected in the good results set out in their report and tables on pages 68 to 73. As greater areas of the County become “designated areas” in which only specified and safe¬ guarded and no raw unsafeguarded milk may be sold, so do their work and responsibilities increase as the welfare of the consumer becomes safer. The County Sanitary Officers have also been responsible for consolidating much of the information on the Sanitary Circumstances of the County and for a great deal of unremitting and conscientious work of a varied character in co-operation with the Surveyors and Public Health Inspectors of the twenty-five Borough and District Councils, doing much to help forward improvements in hygiene throughout the County. The many statistical tables which conclude the report are of varying values and interest; perhaps Table IV showing mortality trends, and Tables VI to IX inclusive, which give nursing particulars in great detail, are those which may repay study and teach us most. Liaison continues happily with the Hospital and General Medical Services as it does with those many voluntary organisations,whose contributions to the work of the Health Department, given so unsparingly, are greatly valued.