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(a) suffering from grave chronic disease, or being
aged, infirm or physically incapacitated, are
living in insanitary conditions;
(b) unable to look after themselves and are not
receiving proper care and attention from
other persons.
Regrettably, two elderly ladies had to be dealt with under the
provisions of these Acts:
Mrs.A.H., aged 83, had to be removed urgently to hospital
on 24th February and Mrs.M.T., aged 77, was also taken to
hospital urgently on 16th December.
It is emphasized that removal of a person to an institution
for the reasons detailed above is only undertaken with great reluctance
and it is fortunate that both Mrs. A.H. and Mrs.M.T. soon became reconciled
to their stay in hospital.
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 1970. 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.
LICENSING OF NURSES' AGENCIES
The Borough Council is responsible for licensing of Nurses'
Agencies, under the Nurses' Agencies Act, 1957. These licences are renewed
on 1st January each year. During the year two agencies were licensed to
supply nurses to private cases at home, hospitals and nursing homes.