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 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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70
Hospitals, have sought the help of the department in providing student nurses with
theoretical and practical instruction in personal and communal health and the social
aspects of disease. This forms part of their training for admission to the Final Examination
for State Registration and is intended to provide every nurse with an insight into the
public health services.
Tuberculosis
visitors
The tuberculosis visitor is an important link between the diagnostic and curative
work of the chest clinics and the preventive and care measures in the patient's home.
Approximately 70 tuberculosis visitors are employed in 31 chest clinics. Each visitor
paid an average of 1,400 home visits during the year.
Training
scheme
The main source of recruitment to the health visiting service is the training schemes
operated by the Council in conjunction with Queen Elizabeth College (University of
London) and with the Royal College of Nursing.*Approximately 40 students are
appointed each year for a one year course leading to the examination of the Royal
Sanitary Institute. Liaison with the University and the organisation of practical field
instruction is carried out by the Council's health visitor tutor. During training students
receive three-quarters of the minimum commencing salary of a health visitor and are
required to continue in the service for six months after qualification. More than twothirds
of the students remain on the permanent staff after this six-months service is
completed.
Home visits
An average of 367 health visitors were employed by the Council during the year in
connection with the various health services, excluding the tuberculosis service. During
1952, these health visitors made 864,107 visits, equivalent to about eight home visits
per working day, apart from clinic and other duties. The following table analyses the
visits paid since 1949 :
| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expectant mothers— | ||||
| First | 29,011 | 25,166 | 25,439 | 25,226 |
| Revisit | 20,649 | 20,212 | 19,311 | 18,708 |
| Per cent, of notified live and still-births | 50 | 45 | 46 | 47 |
| Premature babies— | ||||
| First | 1,979 | 1,698 | 1,601 | 1,834 |
| Revisit | 3,818 | 4,406 | 4,552 | 5,509 |
| Still-births— | ||||
| First | 1,092 | 949 | 918 | 930 |
| Revisit | 494 | 490 | 390 | 349 |
| Per cent, of still-births | 99 | 88 | 86 | 90 |
| Children under 1— | ||||
| First | 54,562 | 50,436 | 49,605 | 48,755 |
| Revisit | 171,288 | 174,935 | 180,901 | 183,816 |
| Per cent, of live births | 97 | 93 | 92 | 91 |
| Children 1 to 5— | ||||
| First | 361,313 | 5,796 | 5,188 | 4,572 |
| Revisit | 391,589 | 387,383 | 377,986 | |
| Infectious diseases | 26,287 | 17,429 | 26,518 | 13,396 |
| Miscellaneous | 158,181 | 42,971 | 48,334 | 51,278 |
| Unsuccessful | 141,626 | 137,108 | 131,748 | |
| Total | 829,674 | 886,751 | 887,247 | 864,107 |
| Health visitors (whole-time, plus whole-time | ||||
| equivalent) at end of year | 354 | 376 | 373 | 382 |
Departmental
enquiries
into social
and public
health
problems
Increasing use is being made by the department and by various organisations of the
knowledge of social conditions obtained by health visitors in the course of their work.
During 1952 they co-operated in a number of enquiries and researches aimed at measuring
social and public health problems. (See page 136.)
* From October, 1953, the courses will be at University of London Institute of Education, the Royal College
of Nursing and the Battersea Polytechnic.