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
London County Council 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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79
authorities should be enabled to provide chiropody in the National Health Service,
possibly in the exercise of the powers of section 28 of the National Health Service
Act, 1946." In view of this recommendation and of the continued pressure on the
chiropody service, and the need for its extension to areas where no service is at present
provided by the Council, the Minister was approached with a view to permission being
given for a limited expansion to mitigate the hardship in certain parts of the County.
He replied, however, that he could not see his way in the existing financial circumstances
to authorise any extension of the service.
The following are particulars of sessions, attendances, etc., for the year:—
| *Clinic Sessions | New Cases | Attendances | Staff (In terms of whole-time units) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,759 | 10,348 | 162,163 | 43.5 |
*Some sessions are attended by more than one chiropodist.
The majority of treatments provided at the clinics are for superficial excrescences
(corns, callosities, etc.) and malformed nails. Advice is given on shoe fitting, foot
hygiene and exercises.
Venereal Disease
A summary of the work done in 1951 at the London V.D. clinics will be found in
Table 29, page 156. Approximately 74 per cent of the patients were resident in
the County of London. The figures show a continued decline in the number of patients
suffering from syphilis and gonorrhoea. A large number of persons who were not
suffering from venereal disease again attended the clinics.
The table below gives the number of patients completing treatment and of defaulters as shown by analysis of the returns from the clinics for 1951.
| Syphilis | Gonorrhoea | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Number of patients discharged after completion of treatment and final tests of cure | 840 | 721 | 2177 | 623 |
| Number of patients who ceased to attend after completion of treatment but before final tests of cure | 711 | 320 | 2088 | 414 |
| Number of patients who ceased to attend before completion of treatment | 235 | 208 | 316 | 63 |
| Number of patients who died from the disease while still undergoing treatment | 10 | 4 | — | — |
Under section 28 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, the Council's male
and female welfare officers have continued to undertake the tracing of contacts of
patients, details of whom have been provided by hospitals, by medical services of the
British, Dominion and United States Armed Forces, and by local health authorities.
The welfare officers have also been available to assist clinics in case of difficulty in
following up patients who have defaulted.
At the request of the Prison Commissioners the part-time services of a welfare
officer were made available during 1950 for attendance at clinics at Holloway Prison
and for following up contacts and prisoners on discharge. Good results were achieved
during the initial trial period and, as it was apparent that there was scope for much
more valuable work in this direction, arrangements were made for the appointment
of a whole-time welfare officer to undertake the work.
Ten notifications were received from the Service authorities of demobilised men
who were under treatment or surveillance for V.D. and these men were interviewed
with a view to persuading them to continue attendance at civilian clinics.