London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Camden 1965

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camden]

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CHIROPODY SERVICES
Unlike other personal health services for which Local Health Authorities became responsible
in 1948, no expansion of the chiropody service was permitted, although authorities were
allowed to retain services already provided. In 1959 the Minister of Health intimated that he was
prepared to approve proposals to establish or extend existing chiropody services, and suggested
that at least in the early stages priority should be given to the elderly, the physically handicapped
and expectant mothers. Under this authority the London County Council increased its number of
chiropody sessions, but owing to the difficulty of recruiting qualified chiropodists not all the
permissible sessions were provided. In addition to providing its own sessions, the County Council
contributed to voluntary organisations providing chiropody services, notably old people's welfare
associations. It decided against running a domiciliary service itself, but encouraged the use of
transport to convey the housebound to clinics, and subsidised domiciliary facilities provided by
voluntary organisations where appropriate.
The services taken over by Camden on 1 April 1965, consisted of 43 weekly sessions, 22
provided by the Council and 21 run by old people's voluntary organisations, viz: Hampstead Old
People's Welfare Association (10), St. Pancras Association for the Care of the Aged (9), and Holborn
Old People's Welfare Association (2). These three bodies later became the Camden Old People's
Welfare Association, which then acted as agent for the Council.
The Camden Old People's Welfare Association also provided a domiciliary chiropody
service totalling about 800 paid treatments a year. In addition, domiciliary visits on a voluntary
basis were carried out by a chiropodist in Hampstead.
At former London County Council chiropody clinics about 1,500 persons a year were
treated, with an average of eight weeks between treatments and a delay of up to four months for a
first appointment. In voluntary clinics in St. Pancras about 850 persons a year were being treated,
with an average interval of two to four months between treatments and a waiting period of three to
four months for a first appointment. In Hampstead about 780 persons a year were being treated at
the voluntary clinics, with an average interval of three months between treatments and a two-week
wait for the first appointment, and in Holborn about 750 persons with an interval between treatments
of 6 - 8 weeks and a wait for the first appointment of 3 - 4 weeks. Ideally, the interval between
the treatments should not exceed six to eight weeks, and there must be many old people who, because
of their inaccessibility to facilities, or because they do not realise that they can be helped, are not
attending. The existing number of sessions was thus clearly insufficient even for known needs.
The demand from the elderly seemed likely to increase considerably with the extension
of the Council's geriatric visiting service and a comprehensive review was undertaken.

Following this review the Health Committee (27 October 1965) approved the appointment
of a Chief Chiropodist to organise an integrated service; the provision of chiropody clinics at all
welfare centres, with suitable accommodation, and elsewhere as necessary; and increased domiciliary
service and transport, as well as chiropody services at old people's flats and Welfare Department
establishments as required.
STATISTICS

In 1965 (1 April to 31 December) the number of treatments given by the local authority direct and voluntary organisations was as under

Old peopleOthers
Borough Council4,827847= 5,674
Voluntary organisations5,506-= *5,506
Total10,33384711,180

•This figure excludes about 15/20 visits a week made on a voluntary basis.
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