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
Camberwell 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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17
Housing Priorities on Medical Grounds
Two hundred and fifty-two applications for alternative
housing accommodation supported by medical certificates
were referred to the Medical Officer of Health for assessment
of medical priority. The procedure for dealing with them,
which has been described in previous reports, was continued
and the following table summarises the medical conditions
and the categories recommended.
MEDICAL PRIORITIES FOR REHOUSING 1961.
| Medical Condition | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reccomdn | Reccomdn | Reccomdn | Reccomdn | |||||
| G.P. | M.O.H. | G.P. | M.O.H. | G.P. | M.O.H. | G.P. | M.O.H. | |
| Tuberculosis | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 3 |
| Bronchitis and/ or Asthma | 8 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Other Respiratory Conditions | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Heart Conditions | 9 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Physical Disabilities (bad legs, etc.) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| Nervous Disorders | 15 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 24 | 2 | 5 |
| Rheumatic Conditions | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| Other Medical Conditions | 18 | 18 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 28 | 21 | 18 |
In 30 cases recommendations were made for the provision
of ground floor accommodation. In 10 instances applicants
who claimed priority on grounds of tuberculosis were found
not to be on the tuberculosis register.
Hiring the year, alternative accommodation was provided
for 150 families whose applications had been recommended
for priority on medical grounds. The following analysis
showing the medical conditions is of interest; the high
proportion of applicants with 'nervous disorders' will be
noted.