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
Ealing 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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Of the three remaining, one has been fined 10/- on two occasions
and 20/- on two occasions, another has been fined 10/- on one
occasion, and 20/- on two occasions, and the third has had three
fines of £2 inflicted by the Court.
To summarise the position, only three of the original twenty
semi-permanent caravans have not been satisfactorily dealt with.
In these three cases legal proceedings have resulted in small fines
being inflicted by the Court. The defendants' acute housing
difficulties have no doubt influenced the Court in assessing the
penalties, but it is improbable that small fines will have the effect
of causing the occupants to remove their caravans from the
District.
Repairs to unfit houses.
The rising costs of building repairs, and the operation of the
Rents Restriction Acts in respect of certain classes of property
have greatly increased the work of the Sanitary Inspectors in
dealing with housing repairs and it is becoming abundantly evident
that urgent consideration will have to be given to the problems
arising from the age of properties and the inability of many owners
to fund necessary urgent repairs from the current rent yield.
The following table shows that since the immediate pre-war period, the number of complaints received by the Department has more than doubled, the number of Statutory Notices served has increased over five times and the number of cases taken to the Magistrates Court has increased seven times.
| Year | Estimated Population | Number of inhabited houses according to Rate Book | Number of complaints received bySanitary Inspectors | Number of houses found not to be in all respects fit for habitation | Number of Preliminary Notices served | Number of Statutory Notices served | Number of cases relating to non-compliance with Statutory Notices taken before Magistrates Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 29,473 | 855 | 5ii | — | |||
| 1938 | 45,154 | 1,388 | 1,113 | 675 | 5 | ||
| I950 | 49,831 | 1,646 | 1,299 | 421 | 36 |
Baths and Swimming Pools.
The Council's swimming baths are equipped with pressure
filters for continuous filtration, and the water is treated with
chlorine under strict supervision. Four samples were taken
by the Sanitary Inspectors during the year for bacteriological
examination and in each case a satisfactory report was received.