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120
Registration of Nursing Homes
In accordance with Part VI of the Public Health Act, 1936,
Part III of the Mental Health Act, 1959, and the Nursing Homes
Act, 1963, registration and inspection of nursing homes is a responsibility
of the local health authority.
For some time authorities have been critical of the weakness of
the legislation in the Public Health Act, the lack of preciseness of
which has led to varying standards in different areas.
However, under existing legislation there is only one nursing home
registered within the Borough and this provides accommodation
for 19 persons.
Number of Beds
Nursing Home Mental Maternity Others
Lady Edith Marsh Nursing
Home,
14 St. German's Place, S.E.3 — — 19
During the year, one nursing home closed and another was
registered.
Chiropody Services
During the year, clinical chiropody in the Borough has seen the
attendance figure of 41,628 for 1966 rise to 42,916 and the number of
new cases from 1,488 to 1,559.
Extracts from the 1967 Report of the Council's Chief Chiropodist
(Mr. K. Reeve) are given below :—
"Staff increases to bring the chiropodists' sessions up to 5,604
augured well for the future, but at the end of the year it was apparent
that losses due to natural wastage would outstrip any intake and, to
obtain maximum benefit from the work force, concentration of
remaining staff into main centres must continue.
The present service depends to a large extent on the sessional
chiropodist (a variable factor) and the ideal situation of a full-time
staff, supplemented by sessional staff when necessary, is unlikely to
obtain with present restricted salary scales. Indeed, the service is
often used only as a useful standby when building up private practice
or marking time between graduation and the commencement of a
partnership or industrial appointment—the very limited number of
grades in the Whitley Council structure offers little future for a fulltime
career in municipal chiropody.
The enforced move of the Blackheath clinic to 103, Shooters Hill
Road has not been entirely painless; clinics and building still await
finishing touches, and the present environment is not conducive to