London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Tower Hamlets 1966

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tower Hamlets, London Borough]

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The numbers of health visitors and tuberculosis visitors employed at the beginning
and end of the year were 35 and 33 respectively, there being 8 resignations and 6 new
appointments during the year. Command Paper 1973 recommended an establishment for the
year 1967 of 36 health and tuberculosis visitors, based on a proportion of 0.18 visitors
per 1,000 population.
The shortage of health visitors was offset by a re-appraisal of their duties and
the subsequent appointment of clinic and school nurses whose training and qualifications
enable them to carry out certain of the duties which are not necessarily required to be
performed by health visitors.
HOME BATHING
Aged persons who are bedfast or homebound are given bed baths and, where the person
is sufficiently agile, complete baths in their own homes by the Council's cleansing
attendants. If the dwelling is without a bath, a 'bungalow' bath is taken to the premises,
together with hot water in insulated containers.
More than 4,000 baths were given during the year.
HOME HELP SERVICE
Home helps are provided under Section 29, National Health Service Act 1946 to undertake
domestic work in homes during emergencies, such as illness or confinements, and
tp assist aged persons who are unable to fend unaided for themselves. Increasingly
the service is attending to the demands of the latter category, understandably because
of the growing number of aged persons in the community, earlier discharge from hospital
as the community care service expands, and the policy of keeping the aged in their own
homes as long as possible rather than admitting them to a hospital or welfare home.
At the end of the year 300 home helps were employed by the Council, the majority on a
part-time basis, the equivalent full-time number being 199.
The present standard charge for home help service is 5/8d. an hour which is reduced
according to the financial circumstances. The service is free to certain classes
e.g. persons in receipt of old age or retirement pensions or on national assistance,
or suffering from toxaemia of pregnancy where a medical certificate is submitted.
Specially trained helps are utilised to provide assistance to problem families.
An in- service training course of 13 lectures designed to assist them in servicing
difficult families was attended by 24 home helps. The Council approved the issue of
raincoats and shoes to home helps in addition to overalls which were already supplied.
Households numbering 3700 were provided with the service during the year compared
with 3553 last year. (Statistics on page 109).
40.