London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Camberwell 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
This page requires JavaScript
23
HOUSING
New Houses
The Council completed the building of 214 new dwellings
during the year, and 990 new houses and flats were in the course
of erection at the end of December.
Housing applications
The scheme of co-operation with the Housing Department,
whereby housing applications supported by medical certificates
were referred to the Medical Officer of Health for consideration
as to the award of priority points on medical grounds, was
continued throughout the year. The number of such cases dealt
with was 302; these are summarised in the following table showing
the medical conditions and degrees of priority recommended.
MEDICAL PRIORITIES FOR REHOUSING 1958
| Medical Condition | Category 1. | Category 2. | Category 3. | Category 4. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.P's Recomm. | M.O.H's Recomm. | G.P's Recomm. | M.O.H's Recomm. | G.P's Recomm. | M.O.H's Recomm. | G.P.'s Recomm. | M.O.H's* Recomm. | |
| Tuberculosis | – | 1 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 22 | 22 |
| Bronchitis and/or Asthma | 7 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| Other respiratory conditions | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| Rheumatic conditions Heart conditions | 4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Physical disabilities (bad legs etc.) | – | – | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | – | – |
| Nervous disorders | 13 | 2 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 28 |
| Other medical conditions | 15 | 9 | 36 | 40 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 10 |
*In addition, there were four instances where, although no
medical category was recommended, an exchange to ground
floor accommodation was advised.
In 18 instances where the applicants sought priority on
grounds of tuberculosis in a member of the family, it was found
that the patient was not, in fact, on the tuberculosis register.