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
London County Council 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Registration of nursing homes
Table (i)—
| 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered at beginning of year | 39 | 38 | 37 | 34 | 33 |
| New homes registered | — | — | 1 | — | 5 |
| Homes registered on change of keeper | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Registrations cancelled—voluntary closure or change of keeper | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Registered at end of year | 38 | 37 | 34 | 33 | 36 |
| Inspections: | |||||
| medical officers | 51 | 41 | 42 | 35 | 46 |
| public health inspectors | 96 | 50 | 63 | 84 | 122 |
| Homes exempted from registration | 39 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 37 |
Table (ii)—
| Number of beds in homes | Number of homes | Maternity* | Number of beds provided | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Others† | Mentally disordered | ||||
| 25 or over | 11 | 216 | 212 | 162 | 590 |
| 20 to 24 | 6 | 25 | 83 | 22 | 130 |
| 15 to 19 | 8 | 17 | 100 | 17 | 134 |
| 10 to 14 | 7 | 12 | 75 | — | 87 |
| 5 to 9 | 2 | 9 | 6 | — | 15 |
| Under 5 | 2 | — | 6 | — | 6 |
| Total | 36 | 279 | 482 | 201 | 962 |
* Each bed is registered for a maternity, medical or surgical case.
†Numbers include beds for medical and surgical patients which cannot be used if a maternity patient is
accommodated in the same room.
Mental nursing homes—When Part III of the Mental Health Act, 1959 came into operation
on 1 November, 1960, the Council became responsible for the registration and
inspection of mental nursing homes and of residential homes for mentally disordered
persons. (Residential homes are registered by the Welfare department.)
Eleven establishments formerly supervised by the Board of Control were notified to
this department as likely to be affected by the provisions of the Act. All the establishments
were inspected and after discussion with the keepers the following decisions were taken:
Licensed house (Lunacy Act, 1890—Part VIII)—2: Both premises registered as mental
nursing homes; one for patients liable to detention under the Act and the other for informal
patients only.
Certified institution (Mental Deficiency Act, 1913—sec. 36)—2: One institution registered
as a mental nursing home for informal patients; the other establishment was not
registrable under the Act.
Approved home (Mental Deficiency Act, 1913—sec. 50)—1: This home was not registrable
as a mental nursing home; it is being considered for registration as a residential
home.
Person having charge of a certified single patient (Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts,
1890-1930)—1: Registration as a mental home was not appropriate; the patient remains
in the person's charge in ' community care '.
Person having care and control of mental defectives (Mental Deficiency Act, 1913—
sec. 51)—5: One establishment registered as a mental nursing home to accommodate
patients detained under the Act; in another the sole patient remains under the person's
care in 'community care'. In the other three establishments the patients had left and no
other mentally disordered patients were accommodated.
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