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The number of partially-sighted persons recommended for inclusion in the
Observation Register was 308 (100 male, 208 female).

Registration of nursing homes
At the end of the year 53 nursing homes on the register were functioning compared
with 54 at the end of 1950. In the 53 homes there were 946 beds distributed as
follows:—
Number of beds in home
Number of
homes
Patients accommodated
All types †
Medical and
surgical only*
Total
25 or over 5 240 89 329
20 to 24 10 63 157 220
15 to 19 9 58 97 155
10 to 14 11 34 88 122
5 to 9 14 48 60 108
Under 5 4 2 10 12
Total 53 445 501 946
*Numbers include beds for medical and surgical patients which cannot be used if a maternity
patient is accommodated in the same room.
†Each bed is registered for a medical, surgical or maternity case.
The number of maternity patients admitted to nursing homes during the year
was 1,243, compared with 1,117 in 1950.
Thirty-nine exemptions from the operation of Part XI of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1936, were granted.
Visits of inspection to the homes were undertaken at regular intervals by
medical officers (111 inspections) and public health inspectors (128 inspections). A
tendency during the year towards a lowered standard of maintenance and cleanliness
in some homes due to the employment of less efficient staff, coupled with difficulty
in securing early compliance with essential health requirements as a result of high
costs and building delays, has called for closer overall supervision of the homes and
more frequent inspection of a number of them.
W elf are Committee Establishments
The arrangements in regard to the medical supervision of all types of establishments
under the control of the Welfare Department, i.e., large homes, mother and
baby homes, rest centres, reception centres for persons without a settled way of