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
Islington 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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The details are as follows :-
| Name | Reasons for Council's Action | Period Named in Court Order | Type of accommodation to which Removed | Ultimate Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs. M. (84 years) | Mrs. M. lived alone in a house which was her own property. A friend did shopping. Although seriously ill, Mrs. M. would not leave home for rea-sons of sentiment. The premises were insanitary and there was also a consider-able risk of fire owing to extensive accumu-lations of paper and miscellaneous articles about the house. | Three weeks | Local General Hospital. | After hospital treatment this patient went to a convalescent home in the Hospital Group She liked the surroundings and was reluctant to leave to enter a private home for aged persons. |
The number of old people who were brought to the notice of the Public Health
Department during the year as being in possible need of attention and assistance
was very much greater—192 cases of old persons having been investigated by the
Officers of the Department, and 367 repeat visits were paid. It will therefore be
seen that although only a very small proportion of old persons had eventually to be
dealt with under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, the amount of work
done by the Department arising out of alleged unsatisfactory conditions of old people
was quite considerable.
National Assistance Act, 1948, Section 31.
Under this Section of the Act, which permits local authorities to make
contributions to the funds of any voluntary organisation whose activities include
the provision of recreation or meals for old people, the Council last year approved
a grant to the Women's Voluntary Services to enable the W.V.S. to set up a
"Meals-on-Wheels" service. Hot mid-day meals were to be supplied on the
recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health, after enquiry, for old people, and
particularly those having difficulty in leaving their own homes to get a meal or make
purchases of provisions. Information regarding possible recipients was obtained from
many sources, including Medical practitioners, District Nursing and Family Welfare
Association workers, National Assistance and Local Health Department Officers,
and Voluntary Organisations.
During the year, which was the first operative year for this service, the number of meals supplied, etc., are given in the following table:—
| Total number of names brought to the notice of the Department | 456 |
| Number recommended to W.V.S. | 355 |
| Number of meals delivered during the year | 3,532 |
| Weekly average | 68 |
The Council also gave some assistance to old people's Clubs for the provision
of meals on the Clubs' premises.
Public Mortuary.
By agreement with the St. Pancras Borough Council the use of the Council's
Mortuary was discontinued as and from 31st March, 1949, all bodies being received
at the St. Pancras Mortuary, Camley Street, N.W.1, after that date.