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

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Bermondsey 1960

Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1960

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Table VI—Housing Well over half of the elderly in the survey are housed by the Bermondsey Borough Council or the London County Council.

MaleFemale
AgeL.C.C.B.B.C.PrivateL.C.C.B.B.C.Private
50—601121462737
61—65720311960174
66—70165814540146334
71—75218519450169402
76—80147417137153354
81—90144810729134248
91 +2284518
752996701856941,567

General During the year 7,046 visits have been made to elderly people by the Public Health Assistants, as follows:-

Miss D. Bishop (has also performed relief duties at Municipal Club)1,448
Mrs. N. Witherden2,734
Mr. W. White2,864
7.046

Conclusions
The number of house-bound and bed-bound is very small and
every effort is being made, by utilising the services available, to
keep these unfortunates out of the chronic sick wards of the hospitals.
The voluntary clubs are doing excellent work in giving their members
many and varied interests and are most helpful in letting me know
when one of their number has not been seen around for a time, or
if deterioration is evident. The Municipal Club, likewise, is most
useful in this direction but, alas, is now getting so overcrowded
that some members are staying away. The success of this venture
makes it imperative that the Committee should consider planning
not only for an extension of the existing Club, but also for a similar
project in another part of the Borough, for the future.
The final phase of the survey may take some time as those at
present "outside the net" may be the most difficult to find.
The three Public Health Assistants can now plan periodic visits
to all known cases, the frequency of the visits being determined by
the need. By this means it is hoped to cut down the number of
elderly people found dead or seriously ill in their homes.