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25
ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MASSAGE AND
SPECIAL TREATMENT
Section 355 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1944, prohibits
any person carrying on in this district an establishment for massage and
special treatment without a licence from the District Council authorising
him to do so. There is a saving clause for registered members of the
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and for members of the medical
profession.
The control exercised by the Authority is in regard to the premises.
The Authority has to be satisfied about the general suitability of the
premises for the work to be done, and also about equipment. There are
also requirements about the exhibition of scales of fees. The licence is in
force for one year only, and a further visit of inspection is paid before the
application for the renewal of the licence comes before the Committee.
In default of the receipt of any complaints, this is the limit of the supervision
exercised. There is, of course, no supervision of the work of the
practitioners, nor any real control of their qualifications. Those who
carry out treatment similar to what is done at these establishments but
in the homes of the patients do not need to be licenced.
At the beginning of the year, 31 establishments were licenced. Three
were licensed during the year, the same number were discontinued so
the number at the end of the year was 31.
In addition, certificates were lodged by five registered members of
the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
NURSING, MIDWIFERY, ETC., IN THE HOME
General Nursing
The National Health Service Act made local health authorities
responsible for providing a home nursing service, either engaging
their own staff or using the services of existing district nursing
associations who had up to this done this work. Although this area was
served by local nursing associations, the County Council decided not "to
make arrangements with voluntary organisations for the employment of
home nurses." Whereas the largest of the local associations—the Great
arrow District Nursing Association—which covered most of the area,
relied largely on nurses resident in one of the two nurses homes, these
Were in time closed, the nurses from then on working from their own
homes.
At the end of year, there were some 21 whole-time nurses and 8
part-time nurses who worked mostly in the mornings, an equivalent of
25 whole-time staff. During the year they paid in all 59,028 visits.
The service is essentially a day-time one. The general medical
Practitioners get into touch with the nurses either directly or through the office.