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
Kensington and Chelsea 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington & Chelsea Borough]
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9
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
EMERGENCY CALL SERVICE
This service, which is operated from Westminster City Hall and shared between this
Council and the City of Westminster, provides cover for emergency calls on local authority
health and social services arising outside normal office hours. The cost is shared between the
two authorities, and between the Health and Social Services Departments of this Council.
During 1971, 2,115 calls were received in respect of this Council's services.
NURSING HOMES
Registration and Inspection (Public Health Act, 1936 — Part VI)
During 1971, one nursing home providing accommodation for 12 medical and
geriatric patients closed early in the year and no new homes were registered.
Seven routine visits of inspection were made by a principal medical officer and the
Chief Public Health Inspector and all the homes were found to be generally very
satisfactory.
At one home, where various works were in progress in connection with means of
escape in case of fire, further visits were made by an officer of the Department of the
Director of Technical Services and a public health inspector and the Council's requirements
were met.
In May, notification was received that it was proposed to re-open the nursing home
closed earlier in the year and the usual preliminary inspections were carried out by officers
of the Council and of the London Fire Service. As the new owners wished to accommodate
more patients than permitted by the previous registration, various requirements were made
with regard to structural alterations, sanitary accommodation, fire precautions and means of
escape in case of fire.
Formal application for registration was made in November, but had not been implemented by the end of the year as the owners had failed to meet some of the Council's requirements.
| Number of homes registered at 1st January | 7 |
| Number of registrations cancelled during the year | 1 |
| Number of homes registered at 31st December | 6 |
| Total number of beds at 31st December | 175 |
| Registered for medical patients only | 130 |
| Registered for medical and surgical patients | 38 |
| Registered for medical and maternity patients | 7 |
| Inspections by Principal Medical Officer and Chief Public Health Inspector | 7 |
| Other inspections by Council's staff | 4 |
| Visits made by Principal Medical Officer and Chief Public Health Inspector to proposed nursing home | 4 |
Scheme to Provide Residential Care for Elderly Ladies
The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who are responsible for the
management of St. Vincent's Nursing Clinic, 11/13 Ladbroke Terrace, W.11., have
generously offered facilities for elderly dependent relatives of single persons or young
families to stay at this clinic for periods of 1—2 weeks whilst their relatives take a holiday.
This service is available for those families where the elderly dependent, due to failing health,
is unable to remain alone or to accompany the family on holiday.
The Council's role in this scheme is limited to liaison with the Order to assist them
and applicants.