[Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, West Sussex County Council.

  • Dirk Neumann
Date:
1952
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, West Sussex County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    38/54 (page 36)
    which is meant to provide only essential day-to-day domestic needs. In the same way, many of them require more nursing attention than can be undertaken by the district nurses. The answer to problems such as this lies in close co-operation with the Hospital Management Committee on the geriatric service which should be provided. The question of the Hospital Management Committee in any particular area setting up residential units in connection with their geriatric service is, however, also affected by the amount of money at their disposal, and, although it is proposed that a meeting should take place in the near future between Welfare Committee representatives and those of the Hospital Management Committees in the County, I am afraid that the financial stringency of the times would prevent such a development taking place in the immediate future. Whether West Sussex, with the high pro¬ portion of old people resident in it, should be treated differently to other parts of the country, by an increase in money allocated for hospital beds or rest home beds, and for the Home Help Service, is a matter for debate. But it is only a part of the national problem dealing with old age in all its manifestations. The number of cases assisted by the Home Help Service in 1952 was 1,431 (maternity 204, Tuberculous 45, general 1,182), as compared with 1,444 in 1951, and, as in previous years, the services of the Home Helps were restricted to essential domestic duties. SECTION 51. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE The functions devolving on the County Council under the National Health Service Act include the responsibility for initial proceedings for removal of patients to hospital under the Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts (formerly undertaken by Relieving Officers) ; for the ascertainment of, and (where necessary) removal to institutions, of mental defectives, or for their care within the community by means of guardianship ; for the training and supervision of defectives in their own homes ; and for the provision of training centres and occupation centres for mental defectives. Constitution and Meetings of Mental Health Sub-Committee The Mental Health Sub-Committee consists of nine members of the County Health Committee, plus the Chairman and Vice-Chairman {ex officio) and a representative nominated by the Brighton Guardianshi]) Society. Meetings are normally held at the beginning of each quarter and all matters relating to Mental Health are referred to the Sub- Committee. Administration The County Medical Officer is responsible for the organisation and control of the Mental Health Service, and the Deputy County Medical Officer assumes responsibility for the medical direction of the Service. Staff The Deputy County Medical Officer and all Assistant County Medical Officers carry out certification work.