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All the nursing homes are regularly inspected by a Principal Medical Officer and a Public Health
Inspector, and advice given about alterations and improvements. At one of these routine inspections
of a long established nursing home it was apparent that the standard of the operating theatre had
fallen below that which is required of any accommodation used to carry out surgical procedures.
It was necessary, therefore, to amend the registration to exclude surgery for a period whilst improvements
were effected to the operating suite. Later in the year when the work was satisfactorily completed,
re-registration to include cases involving surgical treatment was approved.
RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAYS
Under the City Council's scheme arrangements are made for adults who have been suffering from a
recent illness, expectant mothers, mothers with babies or children under five years old who cannot be
left at home, to receive recuperative holidays, usually for a fortnight, whereby they benefit by rest,
fresh air and good food. Persons who are unable to meet the full charge for the holiday are assessed
to pay in accordance with the City Council's assessment scales; those in receipt of supplementary
benefit receive free holidays.
The Inner London Education Authority bears the cost of and arranges placement for recuperative
holidays for school children.
The total number of applications received during 1970 was 276 (256 in 1969) of which 176
received holidays. The remaining 100 were abortive due largely to the patients not taking up offers
made to them, to appropriate accommodation not being available or to the persons recommended
not being considered suitable or not coming within the schemes. The 176 holidays were arranged
for:—
1970 1969
Expectant and nursing mothers 5 1
Tuberculous adults 5 1
Other adults 65 82
Accompanied children 11 7
Unaccompanied children under 5 years 12 7
School children 78 74
176 172
Of the "other adults" 12 were psychiatric cases.
Recipients of the holidays are accommodated in voluntary or private homes and in ordinary
boarding houses. The total number of homes is limited and those for special types of patients, for
example, psychiatrics and mothers and babies, extremely so. During the year, four homes regularly
used for the reception of Westminster residents closed. One re-opened later under new management.
Recommendations for recuperative holidays increase yearly and because of competition with other
local authorities to obtain places, more and more difficulty is being experienced in finding suitable
vacancies.
The City Council is most appreciative of the co-operation, assistance and care given by the
proprietors of the various homes who provide the recuperative holidays for Westminster residents.
There is no doubt that these holidays are of great benefit to the recipients.
SOCIAL WORK (PERSONAL HEALTH)
During 1970 with a view to the implementation of the Local Authority Social Services Act, 1970,
the social workers in this section of the Health Department continued their previous policy of learning
more of their colleagues' duties as well as specialising in their own particular spheres. The 24 social
workers come from many disciplines and are able to offer a wide variety of help and it is therefore
possible to offer our clients a family service. There are many areas of common concern to all social
workers - problems of poverty, of mental and physical illness, of the care of children, of homelessness
- to mention only a few. As far as possible one social worker carries out all the tasks in assisting a
family and consults a colleague or senior member of the staff for expert advice.