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
Greenwich 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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The following is a summary of the work performed by the Lady Sanitary Inspector during the year 1951:—
| No. of dirty and verminous premises inspected | 262 |
| No. of verminous rooms cleansed | 41 |
| No. of verminous persons treated:—Heads | 32 |
| Other | 16 |
| No. of scabies cases visited | 18 |
| No. of factories inspected:—(a) with mechanical power | 50 |
| (b) without mechanical power | 1 |
| (c) other premises | — |
| No. of Outworkers' premises inspected | 160 |
| No. of inspections of Houses Let-in-Lodgings | 27 |
| No. of inspections of Women's Conveniences | 76 |
| No. of Bathing Centre sessions | 12 |
| No. of Infirm Persons visited | 1,349 |
| No. of visits to Rest Homes, Hospitals, etc. | 12 |
| No. of Miscellaneous visits | 213 |
| No. of re-inspections, calls made, etc. | 298 |
| No. of visits re: housing | 21 |
| No. of complaints received | 91 |
| No. of Intimation Notices served 4 |
National Assistance Act, 1948. No action under Section 47
of the above Act has been required in respect of compulsory removal
of aged and infirm persons unable adequately to care for themselves.
It has long been considered that the provisions of Section 47
failed to cover really urgent cases of this nature and in order to
meet the situation the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951,
was introduced and put into operation on 1st September of the
current year.
This alternative procedure enables the Local Authority or the
Medical Officer of Health, if so authorised by the Council, to remove
urgent cases where delay of even a few hours may prove decisive,
without the necessity of giving 7 days notice.
Orders for removal can be made by a Court of Summary
Jurisdiction or a single Justice on an application certified by the
Medical Officer of Health and another registered general medical
practitioner and where agreement to receive such patients has been
reached with the Hospital or Institution authorities. If necessary,
the court or justice may act ex parte.
Orders so made under the Amendment Act are limited to a
period not exceeding 3 weeks and applications for extension of this
period must be made in accordance with the procedure laid down
in Section 47.