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
Finsbury 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]
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Sanitary Conditions:
I am glad to be able to report that there has been a steady 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 unfit properties. The trend,
as indicated by the diminishing number of complaints in recent years,
was halted in 1963. The total number of complaints made to the department
during the year was 1064 as against 735 in 1962. This is most certainly
accounted for by reason of the excessively bad weather that obtained
during the winter months.
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.
The following table sets out a number of details of the work carried out under this heading in 1963:
| Housing damp, dirty - remedied | 270 |
| Doors, windows, floors, walls, ceilings, sashcords repaired | 411 |
| Watercloset and urinal defects remedied | 176 |
| Soil and vent pipe defects remedied | 97 |
| Rainwater pipes cleared, repaired or renewed | 130 |
| Waste pipes cleared, repaired or renewed | 131 |
| Drains cleared | 212 |
| Roofs and gutters repaired | 223 |
| Yard or area defects remedied | 44 |
| Water storage tank defects remedied | 31 |
| Washhouse defects remedied | 1 |
| Water supply to houses reinstated | 121 |
| Firegrates renewed or repaired | 18 |
| Animal nuisances abated | 12 |
| Miscellaneous nuisances abated | 83 |
| Dust receptacles renewed or repaired | 80 |
| Accumulations of refuse removed | 200 |
| Overcrowding cases reported | 51 |
| No. of Basement rooms inspected | 229 |
| No. of House inspections | 1,660 |
| No. of House-to-House Inspections | 389 |
| Total No. of first visits for all purposes | 7,990 |
| Total No. of re-visits for all purposes | 11,519 |
| No. of Intimation Notices served | 525 |
| No. of Nuisance Notices served | 74 |
Legal proceedings were instituted on 4 occasions in 1963 for noncompliance
with notices. Details are as set out below:-
43.