Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970

Provisions with respect to persons under 65

17 Separation of younger from older patients

(1) Every Board constituted under section 11 of the [1946 c. 81.] National Health Service Act 1946 (that is to say, every Regional Hospital Board and every Board of Governors of a teaching hospital) and every Regional Hospital Board constituted under section 11 of the [1947 c. 27.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 shall use their best endeavours to secure that, so far as practicable, in any hospital for which they are responsible a person who is suffering from a condition of chronic illness or disability and who—

(a) is in the hospital for the purpose of long-term care for that condition; or

(b) normally resides elsewhere but is being cared for in the hospital because—

(i) that condition is such as to preclude him from residing elsewhere without the assistance of some other person; and

(ii) such assistance is for the time being not available,

is not cared for in the hospital as an in-patient in any part of the hospital which is normally used wholly or mainly for the care of elderly persons, unless he is himself an elderly person.

(2) Each such Board as aforesaid shall provide the Secretary of State in such form and at such times as he may direct with such information as he may from time to time require as to any persons to whom subsection (1) of this section applied who, not being elderly persons, have been cared for in any hospital for which that Board are responsible in such a part of the hospital as is mentioned in that subsection; and the Secretary of State shall in each year lay before each House of Parliament such statement in such form as he considers appropriate of the information obtained by him under this subsection.

(3) In this section " elderly person " means a person who is aged sixty-five or more or is suffering from the effects of premature ageing.

18 Information as to accommodation of younger with older persons under welfare powers

(1) The Secretary of State shall take steps to obtain from local authorities having functions under Part III of the [1948 c. 29.] National Assistance Act 1948 information as to the number of persons under the age of 65 appearing to the local authority in question to be persons to whom section 29 of that Act applies for whom residential accommodation is from time to time provided under section 21(1)(a) or 26(1)(a) of that Act at any premises in a part of those premises in which such accommodation is so provided for persons over that age.

(2) The Secretary of State shall take steps to obtain from local authorities having functions under the [1968 c. 49.] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 information as to the number of persons under the age of 65 who suffer from illness or mental disorder within the meaning of section 6 of the [1960 c. 61.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 or are substantially handicapped by any deformity or disability and for whom residential accommodation is from time to time provided under section 59 of the said Act of 1968 at any premises in a part of those premises in which such accommodation is so provided for persons over that age.

(3) Every local authority referred to in this section shall provide the Secretary of State in such form and at such times as he may direct with such information as he may from time to time require for the purpose of this section; and the Secretary of State shall in each year lay before each House of Parliament such statement in such form as he considers appropriate of the information obtained by him under this section.

19 Provision of information relating to chiropody services

Every local health authority empowered to provide chiropody services under section 12 of the [1968 c. 46.] Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, or under section 27 of the [1947 c. 27.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947, shall provide the Secretary of State in such form and at such times as he may direct with information as to the extent to which those services are available and used for the benefit of disabled persons under the age of sixty-five.