London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Harrow 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
This page requires JavaScript
79
Nursing Homes
These are private establishments which provide accommodation for
various types of patients. Section 187 of the Public Health Act 1936
requires that these homes shall be registered with the local health authority
and this responsibility for registration and inspection passed to the London
Borough on 1st April 1965. Additional powers for supervision are exercised
under the Mental Health Act 1959, and the Nursing Homes Act 1963.
Up to 1962, the responsibility of the local health authority in regard to
nursing homes was ill-defined, but this situation was improved by regulations
made under Section I of the Nursing Homes Act 1963. These regulations
require managers of nursing homes to provide accommodation,
care and staffing of a satisfactory standard. Authorities now have powers
to specify in what respect the conduct of a home falls short and what needs
to be done to satisfy the requirements. Failure to comply with the authority's
requirements can lead to proceedings against the managers in a
magistrates court. The regulations are wide enough to ensure that suitable
and adequate facilities to meet the requirements of the differing types of
patients are provided in the various nursing homes, empower an authority
to define numbers to be received into a particular home and also protect
private interviews between inspecting officers and patients, in order to
investigate complaints.
The following table sets out the particulars of the various homes registered at the end of the year, with details of ownership and their accommodation:—
| Beds | Type of Case | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bermuda House, Mount Park, Harrow. | Mrs. A. M. Elphick | 13 | Medical or Chronic |
| Mr. A. E. Elphick | |||
| Beverley Maternity Home, 170 Whitchurch Lane, Edgware. | Miss C. Dear | 2 | Maternity |
| 2 | Chronic | ||
| Bowden House Clinic, London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill. | Bowden House Nursing Home Association Ltd. | 47 | Mental |
| Brockenhurst Nursing Home, 82/84 Hindes Road, Harrow. | Mrs. T. O'Donnell | 11 | Chronic |
| Calvary Nursing Home, Sudbury Hill, Harrow. | Mother Superior | 48 | Medical or Chronic |
| Heywood Nursing Home, London Road, Stanmore. | Mrs. M. Guyatt | 4 | Medical |
| 1 | Maternity | ||
| Hillmede Nursing Home, 3 Lansdowne Road, Harrow. | Mrs. D. M. Woodman | 11 | Chronic |
| St. Michael's Nursing Home, 11 Hindes Road, Harrow. | Mrs. T. O'Donnell | 8 | Medical or Chronic |
Establishments for Massage and Special Treatment
All persons in the district wishing to carry on an establishment for
massage or special treatment are required by Section 355 of the Middlesex
County Council Act 1944 to obtain a licence from the District Council
authorising them to do so. Before approving the licensing of any premises,
the Council requires to be satisfied about the general suitability for the