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Reason for additional points No. of cases
Tuberculosis 18
Lung complaints other than T.B. (Bronchitis,
Asthma, Emphysema, etc.) 7
Heart disease 4
Arthritis 3
Nervous disorders 7
Kidney disease 2
Sclerosis 1
General ill-health 1
Amputation of leg 1
It will be seen from the above figures that tuberculosis accounts
for 40% of the claims for health points. It is a matter of the greatest
importance that families with tuberculous members of the household
should be re-housed when overcrowding exists. Only five of those
families awarded points on health grounds during 1955 have been
re-housed, one in the new town at Stevenage, and the remainder
within this Borough.
The following are notes on four cases selected at random from
the files:—
Case No. 7. Father, mother and 3 boys aged 12, 9 and 7 years live
and sleep in one room. The kitchen is also used as a bathroom, and
cannot be used for sleeping purposes. The father suffers from acute
rheumatic polyarthritis and one of the children has suffered from acute
rheumatic fever.
Case No. 20. Father, mother, daughters aged 23, 20 and 18 years,
and sons aged 14 and 12 years live and sleep in two rooms and kitchen.
The two boys sleep in the same room as their parents. One or other
member of the family frequently has attacks of tonsilitis, and a general
low standard of health exists.
Case No. 27. Father, mother and 3 children under 4 years of age
live in two rooms and kitchen on the fourth floor. Toilet is on the
hall floor. The mother is suffering from nervous and physical strain.
Case No. 29. Father, mother, sons aged 13 and 7 years, and
daughters aged 15 and 9 years live and sleep in two rooms and kitchen
on first floor. The father suffers from asthma and bronchitis; he is
extremely breathless and is unable to go downstairs to the toilet,
which is on the ground floor.
In addition to the applications dealt with above, 22 other claims
for re-housing were investigated. In 14 of these overcrowding was
reported, but as points had already been awarded under this heading
no additional health points could be given. In 3 cases the complaints
mainly related to sanitary defects which were dealt with by the sanitary
inspectors and in the remaining cases no action was required by the
Department.
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