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 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Registration of nursing homes
Table (i)—
| 1958 | 1959 | I960 | 1961 | 1962 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered at beginning of year | 38 | 37 | 34 | 33 | 36 |
| New homes registered | — | 1 | — | 5 | 1 |
| Homes registered on change of keeper | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Registrations cancelled—voluntary closure or change of keeper | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Registered at end of year | 37 | 34 | 33 | 36 | 36 |
| Inspections: Medical officers | 41 | 42 | 35 | 46 | 45 |
| Public health inspectors | 50 | 63 | 84 | 122 | 116 |
| Homes exempted from registration | 38 | 38 | 40 | 37 | 35 |
Table (ii)—
| Number of beds in homes | Number of homes | Maternity* | Number of beds provided Mentally | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Others† | disordered | Total | ||||
| 25 or over | 10 | 150 | 243‡ | 162 | 555 | |
| 20 to 24 | 6 | 25 | 83 | 22 | 130 | |
| 15 to 19 | 8 | 17 | 100 | 17 | 134 | |
| 10 to 14 | 8 | 12 | 87 | — | 99 | |
| 5 to 9 | 2 | 9 | 6 | — | 15 | |
| Under 5 | 2 | — | 6 | — | 6 | |
| Total | 36 | 213 | 525 | 201 | 939 | |
*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.
‡Number includes 33 beds registered for medical or mentally disordered cases.
Invalid Meals for London
The Council for many years made an annual grant under section 28 of the National
Health Service Act, 1946 to Invalid Meals for London, a voluntary body providing meals
for invalids and sick persons. Meals were supplied to those suffering from diseases which
necessitated special diets which the recipients could not provide themselves nor obtain in
an ordinary restaurant. In the great majority of cases the recipients of the meals were
housebound and meals were delivered to them at their homes (in eighteen boroughs) by
a transport fleet of 20 vehicles specially fitted with heated food-conveyors. Invalids living
near and able to walk to the kitchens with dining-rooms attached (four out of the five)
were served with meals at the restaurants.
Towards the end of 1959 the Chairman of the voluntary body informed the Council
that he felt unable to continue to be responsible for the work. His Executive Committee
had authorised him to ask the Council to take over the service as soon as possible and,
pending the completion of the necessary formalities, to make interim arrangements for the
continuance of the service. The Council approved in principle the taking over of the
service and, to enable the service to be maintained, approved the provision of financial and
administrative assistance to Invalid Meals for London. The legal formalities were unexpectedly
protracted and it was not until December, 1961 that the service was transferred
to the Council.
In the meantime, at the request of the metropolitan borough councils, provision had
been included in the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1961, to enable the
borough councils to provide an invalid meals service or to make grants to voluntary bodies
providing such a service. During 1961-62 discussions took place with the Metropolitan
Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee on the future running of the service, but by the end
of 1962 a final decision had still not been taken.
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