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19
and no new ones opened, though Bowden House was registered for 22
instead of 19 patients, and Glenleigh for 16 instead of 14. At the end of
the year, then, the 13 registered homes had 179 beds, of which 5 were
for maternity cases.
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 Physiotherapists and for members of the medical
profession.
At the beginning of the year 31 establishments were licensed. One
was licensed for the first time during the year; two were discontinued
so the number at the end of the year was 30.
In addition, certificates were lodged by three members of the Chartered
Society of Physiotherapists.
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.
At the end of the year, there were some 20 whole-time nurses and 7
part-time nurses who worked mostly in the mornings, an equivalent of
25 whole-time staff. During the year they paid in all 56,960 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.
The administration of the home nursing service is one of the functions
for which the local Area Committee is responsible. The superintendent
of the home nurses is Mrs. R. Bromley, who works at the Area Health
Office at "Kynaston Court".
Nursing Equipment. The County Council in exercising its powers
to make available nursing equipment on loan to patients being nursed
at home have used the services of the Middlesex Branch of the British
Red Cross Society. The Red Cross depot in this area is at 39 Sheepcote
Road.
Midwifery and Maternity Nursing
The local midwifery service provided by the Harrow Council under
the Midwives Act, 1936, passed in 1948 into the hands of the Middlesex
County Council. This is one of the services administered locally by the
local Area Committee.