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
Finsbury 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
SANITARY CONDITIONS:
I am glad to be able to report that there has been a continuing
improvement during the past year of the prevailing environmental
conditions in the homes of the residents This has been consequent
for a large part on the disappearance of many of the slum
properties. It has reflected a diminishing number of complaints
made to the department from 920 in 1960 to 832 in 1961. It has
been possible to investigate all complaints without delay.
Generally speaking, the policy adopted has been to press for the
abatement of nuisances by informal action rather than to take
legal proceedings, In this way it has been possible to preserve
better relations with landlords and thus to secure further
improvements which could not be enforced. In spite of the general
improvement referred to there still remains much unfit property
deleterious to health in the Borough.
27
The following table sets out a number of details of the work carried out under this heading in 1961.
| Houses damp, dirty - remedied | 326 |
| Doors, windows, floors, walls, ceilings, sashcords repaired | 605 |
| Watercloset and urinal defects remedied | 141 |
| Soil and vent pipe defects remedied | 73 |
| Rainwater pipes cleared, repaired or renewed | 77 |
| Waste pipes cleared, repaired or renewed | 93 |
| Drains cleared | 200 |
| Roofs and gutters repaired | 282 |
| Water storage tank defects remedied | 20 |
| Yard or area defects remedied | 40 |
| Washhouse defects remedied | 5 |
| Water supply to houses reinstated | 4 |
| Water supply laid on to upper storeys of house | 3 |
| Firegrates renewed or repaired | 31 |
| Animal nuisances abated | 9 |
| Miscellaneous nuisances abated | 131 |
| Dust receptacles renewed or repaired | 67 |
| Accumulations of refuse removed | 251 |
| Overcrowding cases reported | 47 |
| No. of Basement rooms inspected | 227 |
| No. of House inspections | 999 |
| No. of House-to-House inspections | 19 |
| Total No of first visits for all purposes | 5,886 |