London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chislehurst 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chislehurst]
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18
SECTION B.
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
FOR THE AREA.
NURSING HOMES.
(Public Health Act. 1936. Sections 187-194.)
There are six Nursing Homes on the register at the present
time, providing for a total of 77 beds. Three of these beds are
for maternity cases and the remainder for medical or surgical cases.
Aged sick or aged infirm patients occupy the majority of these beds.
The homes were inspected at frequent intervals during the year,
and at no time were any contraventions found which required action
on the part of the local authority.
Details of the Homes are as under :—
| Number of Beds. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity. | Other. | Total. | |
| "Fallowfield," Ashfield Lane, Chislehurst | — | 38 | 38 |
| "Hadlow," Hadlow Road, Sidcup | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| "Hatherley," Hatherley Road, Sidcup | — | 9 | 9 |
| "Glenthorne," Lower Camden, Chislehurst | — | 12 | 12 |
| "The Retreat," Lower Camden, Chislehurst | — | 4 | 4 |
| "Redhill House," Redhill, Chislehurst | — | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | 74 | 77 | |
PUBLIC MORTUARY.
The public mortuary is situate at Beaverwood Road. Chislehurst,
and during the year 144 bodies were taken there. Seventytwo
of these were received from hospitals. Inquests were held in
27 cases.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948.
Section 47.
Under this section of the Act (as amended by the National
Assistance (Amendment) Act. 1951), powers are given to the local
authority for the compulsory removal of persons suffering from
grave chronic disease, or who are aged, infirm or physically handicapped
and who are living in insanitary conditions and unable to
devote to themselves and not receiving from other persons proper
care and attention.
Although several cases were visited and investigated during the
year, it was not necessary to apply to the court for an order for
compulsory removal.