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 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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70
It seems that some co-ordination of these agencies is desirable;
for the most part this is left to local organisation. At present, in
Greenwich, an Old People's Welfare Committee does exist and has
performed much good work unobtrusively and unheralded. Unfortunately,
the Committee has been handicapped by lack of
publicity and lack of funds necessary for the many welfare projects
which such a Committee can supervise: perhaps, even, this Committee
has suffered from a lack of cohesion. I hope that next year
this Old People's Welfare Committee can be broadened and its
authority and scope widened, with financial and moral backing from
the Borough Council. I also have hopes that some of our old
people will be given a holiday or taken on outings ; this at least
would be a start in the development of what may be a new and farreaching
Welfare Service.
Great reliance is placed on the Lady Sanitary Inspector by the elderly of the Borough and the following is a summary of the work performed by her during the year 1952:—
| No. of dirty and verminous premises inspected | 54 | |
| No. of verminous rooms cleansed | 82 | |
| No. of verminous persons treated:—Heads | 50 | |
| Other | 34 | |
| No. of scabies cases visited | 14 | |
| No. of factories inspected:—(a) with mechanical power | 31 | |
| (b) without mechanical power | 13 | |
| (c) other premises | 4 | |
| No. of Outworkers' premises inspected | 82 | |
| No. of inspections of Houses Let-in-Lodgings | 31 | |
| No. of inspections of Women's Conveniences | 24 | |
| No. of Bathing Centre sessions | 13 | |
| No. of Infirm Persons visited | 923 | |
| No. of visits to Rest Homes, Hospitals, etc. | 14 | |
| No. of Miscellaneous visits | 199 | |
| No. of re-inspections, calls made, etc. | 218 | |
| No. of visits re: housing | 43 | |
| No. of complaints received | 49 | |
| No. of Intimation Notices served | 2 | |
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 had 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 that
year.