(1)Any local authority may, and if required by the Board shall, provide, furnish, and maintain for the use of inhabitants of their district suffering from infectious disease, hospitals, temporary or permanent, and houses of reception for convalescents from infectious diseases, or for persons who have been exposed to infection, and for that purpose may—
(a)themselves build such hospitals or houses; or
(b)contract for the use of any such hospital or house or part thereof; or
(c)enter into any agreement with any person having the management of any such hospital or house or part thereof on payment of such annual or other sum as may be agreed on;
(d)any local authority, with the consent of the Board, may also or in place of providing such hospitals or houses as aforesaid, employ nurses to attend the persons suffering from infectious disease in their own houses, and also supply medicines and medical attendance for such sick.
(2)Two or more local authorities may, and if required by the Board shall, combine in providing, furnishing and maintaining a common hospital or house of reception, or in employing nurses on terms to be agreed on, and failing agreement to be fixed by the Board, whose determination shall be binding.
(3)No contract for the use of any such hospital or house or part thereof shall be entered into without the consent of the Board, and no such hospital or house of reception shall be provided, unless and until the site and plans for the construction thereof have been approved of by the Board. Provided always that such site shall be in or within a convenient distance of the district of the local authority, or, in the case of a combination in terms of this section, in or within a convenient distance of the combined district.
(4)A local authority may with the sanction and subject to regulations made by the Board provide and maintain one or more portable hospitals for the use of their district.
A local authority may provide and maintain, or may combine "with one or more local authorities in providing and maintaining, carriages suitable for the conveyance of persons suffering from any infectious disease, and pay the expense of conveying therein any person so suffering to a hospital or other place of destination.