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(b) unable to look after themselves and are not
receiving proper care and attention from
other persons.
Fortunately it is rare for such compulsory action to have
to be taken, but during the year, in the space of eleven days during
a cold spell at the beginning of December, three elderly ladies of
middle class background had to be removed under the provisions of
these Acts. (An Order under the Acts may be authorised by a single
Justice of the Peace in emergency but any extension of the Order
must be granted by a Court of Summary Jurisdiction).
Miss B, aged 83
died six days after admission to
hospital from a condition unconnected
with her removal.
Miss H. aged 75
was initially taken to a private old
people' s Home but was transferred to
hospital following a variation of the
Order and an extension by the Court
of the first period of three weeks
for a further period of three months.
Miss A. aged 88
was taken to hospital and the initial
period of three weeks was extended
for a further period of three months.
REGISTRATION OF NURSING HOMES
The Borough Council is the registration authority for
nursing homes under Part VI of the Public Health Act, 1936. No homes
were registered during 1969. At the end of the year there were three
registered nursing homes in the borough and these provided a total of
70 beds for chronic sick and medical patients. None provided any
maternity beds, but one of the registered homes may receive up to
three persons for treatment for the termination of pregnancy in
accordance with Section 1(3) of the Abortion Act, 1967, which provides
that except in the case of urgent termination of pregnancy to save the
life of or prevent gross permanent injury to the physical or mental
health of the pregnant woman, termination of pregnancy must be carried
out either in a National Health Service hospital or in a place approved
for the purpose by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Services.