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25
REGISTRATION OP 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 1972. At the end of the year there
were three registered nursing homes in the borough and these provided
a total of 68 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 the licensing of
nurses agencies under the Nurses Agencies Act 1957. These licences
are renewed on 1 January each year. One 3uch agency was granted a
licence to continue for a further year and two new agencies were
granted licences during the year.
CREMATIONS
The medical officer of health, deputy medical officer of
health and a senior medical officer are recognised by the Home Office
and act as medical referees to the borough crematorium in Kingston.
During the year there were 1,433 cremations. None was
rejected and queries raised were answered satisfactorily before the
services.
MORTUARY SERVICES
These have been arranged jointly with Kingston Hospital.
ADULT MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
431 candidates for appointment to the Council's staff were
examined as to their fitness for employment. An additional 352 were