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 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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Statistical details of the activities of home nurses are as follows.
| 1972 | 1971 | |
|---|---|---|
| Patients being nursed (a) 1.1.72 | 899 | 819 |
| (b) 31.12.72. | 1,043 | 899 |
| Total nursed | 2,771 | 2,526 |
| Total visits | 113,906 | 111,693 |
| Visits to persons over 65 | 96,588 | 95,487 |
| Proportion of visits to persons aged over 65 | 84.8 | 85.4 |
| Nursing treatments completed | 1,728 | 1,627 |
| Nursing treatments commenced | 1,872 | 1,707 |
LOAN OF EQUIPMENT
The scheme for the loan of equipment, free of charge to persons being nursed (irrespective of whether by district nurse, relative or friend) in their own homes continued during the year. The items loaned included the following: Tota/s Qn loan at
| Equipment | 1972 | 1971 | 31.12.72. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air and sorbo rings | 201 | 97 | 177 |
| Bed cradles | 132 | 79 | 119 |
| Bed and back rests | 175 | 105 | 153 |
| Bed pans | 167 | 80 | 122 |
| Commodes | 510 | 286 | 504 |
| Hoists | 29 | 13 | 24 |
| Dunlopillo mattresses | 32 | 8 | 24 |
| Fracture boards | 90 | 29 | 80 |
| Hospital beds | 21 | 10 | 19 |
| Walking aids | 287 | 114 | 235 |
| Wheel chairs and other special chairs | 220 | 92 | 199 |
PROPHYLAXIS
VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
All infants attending child health clinic sessions are offered the basic course of immunisation unless
they are already being given this protection by their own doctors.
The parents of children commencing school are handed a leaflet reminding them of the need for protection
against disease. Unfortunately, some children still commence school unprotected and these are
immunised at school medical inspections provided parental consent can be obtained. Alternatively parents
of these children are encouraged to bring them to child health centres during the school holidays.
The health education section has been active in promoting the department's immunisation campaign
with lively and eye-catching material in the form of leaflets, posters and displays.
DIPHTHERIA, WHOOPING COUGH, TETANUS AND POLIO
The falling birth rate, the new schedule introduced in October, 1970 and the high rate of net emigration
have together contributed to a reduction in the overall numbers of completed primary courses of
protection against these diseases but there are indications that the computer scheme for providing automatic
reminders in respect of children failing to complete courses by the due dates is having a compensatory
effect. In my previous report I referred to the inevitable result of the new schedule being a reduction in the
number of babies completing courses during 1971 and which would be self-adjusting in 1972; this is evidenced
in the tables below as is also the effect of the elimination from the new schedule of the booster doses at
eighteen months of age.
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