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in a position to judge where their use is likely to be of maximum advantage and value.
The topics on health subjects, loaned by the Central Council for Health Education,
were displayed during the year at welfare centres and other premises of the department
throughout the county and were frequently changed, so that during the year something
approaching the full range of topics available could be seen at each centre making
use of this method of publicity.
Diphtheria
immunisation
campaign
Diphtheria immunisation publicity ws carried out widely, and reached its peak
in February when a two weeks' intensive campaign was held, supported by illustrated
advertisements in about 40 local newspapers, special film and film-strip shows, and
the distribution of about 50,000 leaflets on the subject, together with the display of
about 600 posters. A special feature of this campaign was the display of cinema slides,
urging the need for diphtheria immunisation, at nearly 100 cinemas throughout the
county.
Accidents
in the home
campaign
The intensive campaign against accidents in the home held in November took as
its subject for emphasis the dangers from burns and scalds. It was by far the most
extensive undertaken so far. In addition to using the more usual channels for the
distribution of literature and for the display of posters, special efforts were made to
reach a wider section of the population by inviting the co-operation of the Metropolitan
Borough Councils, London hospitals, general practitioners, schools, midwives, district
nurses and moral welfare associations, as well as other departments of the Council. The
extent of this co-operation can be judged from the fact that no fewer than 11,500 posters
were displayed and almost half-a-million leaflets were distributed to the people of London
by these agencies. Special mention should be made of the agencies outside the health
department which distributed some 246,000 of these, no less than 209,000 being distributed
to school children by the head teachers of over 500 schools. This form of
distribution would, it was considered, ensure that a high proportion of the leaflets
would find their way into homes where they would be seen and their message noted
by parents and other adult members of the family.
The four-minute film 'Dangerous Ages', produced by the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents, was shown at 15 cinemas in the county, 10 other films were
hired for film shows arranged for mothers at welfare centres, and film-strips were
used on 16 occasions at these centres to support talks given by staff of the department.
Special advertisements drawing attention to the hazards encountered in the home were
inserted in three London evening newspapers and in 54 local newspapers circulating
in and around London. Press releases giving background notes about the home safety
problem in general and the campaign in particular elicited a generous response and
many newspapers gave valuable editorial and news space to the campaign and its
implications. Articles were written for other periodicals and a special front page article
was included in the Council's own Education Bulletin for the week previous to the
campaign seeking the co-operation of all teachers. A small exhibition, stressing the
dangers of accidents resulting from scalds and burns, was held during the week of the
campaign in the main entrance of the County Hall and was well attended.
It would be unwise to be too dogmatic about the results of the campaign as not
enough is known about the various factors which influence the incidence of home
accidents. It is a fact, however, as the figures set out below of weekly removals by
the London Ambulance Service of home accident cases during October and November,
1955, show, that a noticeable drop occured during the week of the campaign and in
the two weeks following. Compared with the average for the five weeks immediately
preceding the campaign the number of home accident cases removed to hospital during
the week of the campaign and the two weeks following showed reductions of 23 per
cent., 23 per cent., and 17 per cent, respectively. The effects on minor accidents, not
coming within the ambit of the London Ambulance Service, is unknown, but they
could reasonably be assumed to follow the same pattern.
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