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
Hammersmith 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith.
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YEAR OF BIRTH
| 1972 | 1971 | 1970 | 1969 | 1968 | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MENTALLY SUBNORMAL | ||||||
| E.S.N. | - | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| S.S.N. | 1 | - | - | - | 3 | 4 |
| PSYCHIATRIC | ||||||
| Maladjusted | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Autistic/psycotic | - | - | . | - | - | - |
| Mongols | 2 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Socio-Medical | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 4 |
| Multiple Handicaps | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | - | 15 |
| IN CARE | - | 4 | 2 | 3 | - | 9 |
| OBSERVATION | 416 | 289 | 181 | 99 | 30 | 1,015 |
| TOTALS | 451 | 328 | 211 | 129 | 38 | 1,157 |
SCHEME FOR REPORTING CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
The scheme rests on information being sent to the Medical Officer of Health by the doctor or midwife
notifying a birth (as required by Section 203 of the Public Health Act 1936) of any malformation of the child
observable at birth. The Medical Officer of Health is required to return to the Director and Registrar General
a standard form for every child living in his area in whose case he has received information of a malformation
observed at birth.
In 1972, 49 Congenital Malformations were n'otified regarding 41 children.
Notification was made as follows:
| 1972 Congenital Malformations | |
|---|---|
| Central nervous system | 12 |
| Eye and Ear | 3 |
| Alimentary system | 4 |
| Heart and circulatory system | 2 |
| Respiratory system | 2 |
| Urino-genital system | 4 |
| Limbs | 19 |
| Other parts of musculoskeletal system | - |
| Other systems | 2 |
| Other malformations | 1 |
| 49 |
VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
Vaccination and Immunisation are provided jointly by the general medical practitioner and local health
authority services under Section 26 of the National Health Service Act 1946. Every local health authority is
required under the Act to make arrangements with medical practitioners for the vaccination of persons in the
area of the authority against smallpox, and immunisation against diphtheria.
The Minister of Health subsequently approved immunisation against whooping cough, poliomyelitis,
tetanus and measles as well as vaccination against anthrax of workers in specified industries, but there are no
such workers known to beat risk in the Borough. Authorisation has also been received for vaccination against
rubella for girls between their eleventh and fourteenth birthdays.
Later, the Secretary of State accepted the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
which concluded that with the changes in the prevalence of smallpox in the countries overseas and the
diminishing likelihood of the occurrence of outbreaks in this country, smallpox vaccination need not now be
recommended as a routine procedure in early childhood. However, travellers to and from areas of the world
where smallpox is endemic or countries where eradication programmes are in progress should still be
protected by recent vaccination.
Protection is offered in child health centres against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, and
measles, to children below school age.
At appropriate ages a card is sent to each child, inviting him to be immunised either by his family doctor or
by attendance at a clinic, and a leaflet giving information about immunisation accompanies it.
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