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The services or voluntary organisations, such as the Jewish Board or Guardians, the
Wandsworth Peace Memorial and the St. Henry Convalescent Fund were also used
and assistance was rendered by the National Association for the Prevention of
Tuberculosis in respect of tuberculous persons.
Venereal
disease
Venereal disease
A summary of the work done in 1956 at the London V.D. out-patient clinics will be
found in Table 12, page 240. Approximately 79 per cent. of the patients were resident
in the County of London and a large number of persons who were found not to be
suffering from venereal disease attended the clinics.

The Council's male and female welfare officers continued to undertake the tracing
of contacts of patients, details of whom had been provided by hospitals, by medical
services of the British, Commonwealth and United States Armed Forces, and by local
health authorities. Information of 370 contacts was received but in 277 instances there
was insufficient information for following-up. Of the remaining 93 cases 50 were
traced of whom 44 were successfully brought to treatment. The welfare officers were
also available to assist clinics in case of difficulty in following-up patients who defaulted.
The arrangements whereby the services of a full-time welfare officer are made
available for attendance at clinics at Holloway Prison and for following-up contacts
and prisoners on discharge, were continued during the year.
Health education
It has long been appreciated that generally there can be no more favourable opportunity
for health education than afforded by the direct approach of the medical and health
visiting staff in the normal course of their duties, but to supplement the continuous
efforts of these officers a comprehensive campaign on health education was conducted
throughout the year and many varied aspects of the work of the department were
covered.
Special
campaigns
Special attention was paid to diphtheria immunisation and the prevention of
accidents in the home and, as in previous years, each was made the subject of an intensive
campaign.
The diphtheria immunisation campaign held in February was sustained for two
weeks, and took the form of advertisements in thirty-eight local newspapers, special
film and film strip shows, the distribution of approximately 50,000 leaflets and the
exhibition of some 600 posters. With the generous co-operation of the managements
concerned, two-minute films or slides were shown at over 100 cinemas throughout the
County area and much assistance was received from Press notices and comments other
than the official advertisements. The effect of the campaign proved difficult to assess
but there was some evidence that its immediate impact was impaired by adverse
weather.
The campaign against accidents in the home was conducted on similar lines and was
held during the week commencing 5th November. It is not generally appreciated that
more deaths are caused by accidents in the home than on the roads. Many victims of
non-fatal accidents, particularly burns and scalds, have to spend long periods in hospital
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