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VI MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES ETC.
ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME
The powers and duties of the Council under the Home Safety Act 1961, relating
to the dissemination of information and advice for promoting safety in the home and
encouraging proper precautions against accidents, are exercisable by the Health
Committee. Health education for the prevention of home accidents has continued
throughout the year, with particular reference both to those groups atgreatest risk
and to the most prevalent causes.
Inquests were held during the year on 9 fatalities in the borough arising from
accidents which occurred in the home, including 3 from falls and 4 following outbreaks
of fire. Many children were admitted to hospital or treated as out patients after
swallpwing medicines in tablet or capsule form.
Special publicity is arranged each year regarding home accident prevention and
on the necessity for preventing medicines and other dangerous materials from being
accessible to children and for unwanted medicines to be disposed of.
AMBULANCE FACILITIES
The Greater London Council irresponsible under Section27of the National Health
Service Act 1946 for the provision of ambulance transport in the area.
AUTHENTICATION OF INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATES
OF VACCINATION AND INOCULATION
Persons proceeding abroad are required in certain countries to produce a
certificate of recent successful vaccination and/or inoculation, and in addition
the signature of the vaccinating doctor must be verified by the medical officer of
health of the district. During the year 4,584 signatures on certificate swere verified
as those of medical practitioners practising in the borough and the certi ficates
endorsed accordingly.
Following a resolution passed by the World Health Assembly in 1969, all Internationa]
Certificates of Vaccination against smallpox, cholera and yellow fever must
be issued in the form laid down in the new International Health Regulations as from
1st January 1971.
The main difference between the old and the new certificates is that from January
1971 doctors will need to record the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine and to
sign the certificate by hand. A stamped facsimile signature will not be sufficient.
The majority of these certificates are authenticated for the purpose of persons
travelling abroad on holiday, and include a large number relating to immigrants
journeying to and from India and Pakistan.
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