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
St Pancras 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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Clean Air Act
The volume of work involved in establishing a smoke controlled area has
proved to be greater than was at first anticipated Often several additional
visits have to be made by staff from the Public Health Department before a satisfactory
conclusion can be reached with the owner or occupier on the changes
needed to comply with the Smoke Abatement Order Nevertheless the work of making
St Pancras a smoke controlled area within 10 years proceeded steadily throughout
the year The St. Pancras (No.2) Smoke Control Order became operative on the 1st
December, 1960, and hy October 1961 the whole of St Pancras south of Euston Road
will be a smoke control area.
The work of this Association has continued steadily throughout the year, So important and use ful are these activities that I feel that a further summary of them would not be out of place.
| 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of visits by Health Officers | 1,461 | 2,494 | 3,776 | 4,383 | 6,120 | 5,662 | 8,518 | 8,397 | 10,086 | 10,512 |
| Meals supplied to old people in their homes | 9, 335 | 9,914 | 9,447 | 9,074 | 9,396 | 9,889 | 9,501 | 7,510 | 20,739 | 38,584 |
| Meal vouchers issued issued | 788 | 3,498 | 4,136 | 6,815 | 6,703 | 8,060 | 7,353 | (a) 7,158 | 7,724 | 8,617 |
| Wireless sets supplied or re-issued | 22 | 46 | 34 | 30 | 39 | 26 | 29 | 39 | 21 | (b) |
| 32 | 121 | 198 | 317 | 352 | 413 | 387 | 437 | 4 35 | 458 | |
| New cases | 136 | 138 | 215 | 287 | 282 | 237 | 181 | 317 | 219 | 196 |
| Re-attendances | 215 | 1,198 | 2,534 | 3,159 | 3,886 | 4,741 | 4,5 30 | 4,939 | 4,852 | 4,088 |
| Persons seen by doctor | 266 | 521 | 509 | 543 | 452 | 389 | 459 | 468 | 357 | Nil(c) |
| 136 | 128 | 134 | 140 | 143 | 129 | 139 | 135 | 151 | 149 |
(a) 1,872 by Invalid Meals for London: 5,638 by S.P.A.C.A. - no dinners
were supplied for the 4 months prior to S.P.A.C.A. taking over.
(b) A total of 115 were on loan at the end of 1960.
(c) This clinic has now been resumed.
There are five health officers on the staff of the Association, all trained
nurses. Starting with one in 1950, a second was appointed in 1952, a third in
1954, a fourth in 1956 and a fifth in 1958.
The number of visits shown in the above table gives but small indication
of the true value of these officers. Of greater significance is the knowledge
that the work they do not only brings comfort to the old people, but often makes
it possible for them to remain in their own homes rather than enter a "home" or
institution The distribution of amenities and gifts such as clothing, furniture,
hot water bottles, food parcels, fruit and vegetables, has been a feature of their
work.
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