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
Bethnal Green 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
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32
SANITARY CONDITIONS.
While the remedying of sanitary defects still
remains as difficult, if not more complicated, the actual
volume of sanitary work was less in 1947 than in the
preceding year, there being fewer complaints and
drainage inspections. Owing to the shortage of district
inspectors, infectious disease enquiries were for
a period undertaken by the Health Visitors, and the
Food and Sanitary Inspectors were largely diverted
from their normal duties to deal with district work,
with consequent reduction in the visits to food and
factory premises. Housing enquiries, on the other
hand, showed an increase.
The main items in the work of the Sanitary Inspectors, apart from food, which is separately reported, during the year were:
| Visits to houses arising from: Infectious disease | 243 |
| Complaints as to sanitary conditions | 4,805 |
| Inspections of: Factories | 183 |
| Outworkers' houses | 25 |
| Tenement houses | 14 |
| Drainage work | 4,184 |
| Enquiries with regard to Housing | 1,250 |
| Other inspections | 4,802 |
| Re-inspections | 8,846 |