London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
41
It is hoped that it will be possible to investigate this point more fully during
the ensuing year.
From table 25. which deals with discharges from the units, it will be seen that
76.3 per cent. of the children on discharge were regarded as fit for ordinary education
or any type of employment; 3.5 per cent. could only be described as "permanently
unfit" for any type of school or work; 20 per cent. were regarded as fit to attend
schools for the physically defective or able to undertake light work. Although a
somewhat high percentage of children discharged must be classed as more or less
"invalid," it must be remembered that many of them are long-standing cases of
rheumatic cardiac disease who have been admitted for a period of cardiac rest.
Actually the percentage of school children suffering from acquired heart disease has
shown a steady diminution since 1926. In that year, the percentage was 2.0; in 1936
it had decreased to .8 per cent. While it might be claiming too much to attribute
the whole of this decrease to the operation of the Council's rheumatism scheme, it
is unreasonable to believe that the two are in no way associated.
Fitness of
children
discharged
from units
Table 23
| Particulars | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number received from the Council's hospitals | 256 | 678 | 761 |
| „ „ „ voluntary hospitals | 750 | 619 | 548 |
| „ „ „ rheumatism supervisory centres | 526 | 576 | 565 |
| „ „ „ school doctors | 214 | 303 | 348 |
| „ „ „ other sources (chiefly private practitioners and welfare organisations) | 213 | 221 | 145 |
| Total number received | 1,959 | 2,397 | 2,367 |
| Subsequently withdrawn | No record | 55 | 69 |
| Final total | 1,959 | 2,342 | 2,298 |
| Examinations by medical referees— | |||
| Examined and accepted with concurrence of parents | Not recorded | 2,013 | 2,059 |
| „ „ „ but treatment refused | 210 | 114 | |
| Examined and found unsuitable for institutional treatment | 117 | 113 | |
| Awaiting examination, 31st December | 2 | 12 | |
| Total | — | 2,342 | 2,298 |
| Treatment— | |||
| Outstanding cases awaiting admission from previous year | Not recorded | 72 | 33 |
| Number accepted during current year | 2,013 | 2,059 | |
| Total | — | 2,085 | 2,092 |
| Admitted to rheumatism units | 1,639 | 2,039 | 2,018 |
| Died before admission was arranged | _— | 1 | 5 |
| Awaiting admission, 31st December | 72 | 45 | 69 |
| Total | 1,711 | 2,085 | 2.092 |
| Supervision— | |||
| Number of children under supervision (31st December) by school doctors. | 2,129 | 2,596 | 2,526 |
| Number of children under supervision (31st December) at supervisory centres | Not re corded | 5,164 | |
| Total | — | — | 7,690 |
| Number of supervisory centres | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Number of sessions at supervisory centres | 1,067 | 1,088 | 1,073 |
| Number of children attending for first time | 2,047 | 1,921 | 1,920 |
| Total number of attendances at centres | 15,420 | 15,913 | 15,552 |
| Reports by care committees on home conditions | 1,365 | 1,664 | 1,448 |
| Number of premises reported to borough medical officers of health re dampness or to valuer re obtaining of better accommodation | 225 | 442 | 335 |
| Rheumatism Units— | |||
| Nominal accommodation (i.e., number of beds) | 830 | 930 | 900 |
| Average number of beds available | 826 | 889 | 856 |
| Average number of beds occupied | 730 | 803 | 798 |