London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Age Group | Number of pupils inspected | Parent present | Care committee representatives present at inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | ||
| 7,674 | 90.5 | 81.0 | |
| 5 | 27,435 | 88.5 | 94.7 |
| 6 | 7,511 | 79.4 | 95.8 |
| 7 | 9,744 | 74.3 | 94.6 |
| 8 | 19,322 | 69.9 | 96.2 |
| 9 | 3,227 | 58.4 | 96.3 |
| 10 | 1,897 | 54.6 | 94.6 |
| 11 | 10,549 | 40.4 | 73.7 |
| 12 | 19,634 | 33.5 | 82.8 |
| 13 | 4,884 | 25.1 | 76.0 |
| 14 | 9,418 | 11.5 | 80.7 |
| 15 and over | 29,495 | 7.7 | 74.6 |
As a result of the triennial reconstitution of care committees in 1959, 601 care committees
(covering 913 schools) had been reconstituted by January, 1960 and another 66
(covering 134 schools) were pending. Only 96 schools were then without any voluntary
workers; of these 57 were grammar and technical schools and 33 of the remaining 39
were situated in two of the largest South London districts where there were many new
schools. The total number of voluntary workers at the end of the year was 2,527.
Physical condition of pupils
The percentage of pupils whose condition was classified as satisfactory and unsatisfactory
and the percentage who were noted as requiring treatment or observation on
account of nutrition during 1960 are set out below, with similar figures for the four preceding
years. This table suggests a continuous improvement over the five years, but the steadying
of the percentage noted with a nutrition defect may mean that the end of this improvement
is near.
Physical condition Nutrition defect noted for
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Treatment Observation
% % % %
1956 95.0 5.0 0.9 0.9
1957 97.3 2.7 0.6 0.6
1958 98.1 1.9 0.5 0.6
1959 98.8 1.2 0.2 0.5
1960 99.0 1.0 0.2 0.5
As indicated in my report for 1959, the newly introduced basis of tabulation by years of birth permits the comparison of samples of children of the same age group and is analogous to a 'follow-up ' survey. The first three years' figures are:
| Year of birth | Year of examination | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |
| 1943 and earlier | 1.0 | — | — |
| 1944 | 1.1 | 0.6 | — |
| 1945 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| 1946 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| 1947 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| 1948 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| 1949 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 0.9 |
| 1950 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| 1951 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| 1952 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 11 |
| 1953 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.8 |
| 1954 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| 1955 | — | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| 1956 and later | — | — | 1.0 |
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