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During 1956 the rate for children vaccinated against smallpox during the first year
of life was approximately 49 per cent of the annual live births although the actual
number of vaccinations was somewhat larger than in the previous year.
Arrangements were made to take part in the Ministry of Health scheme for
inoculation against poliomyelitis and 120,644 children were registered for inoculation
of whom at the end of the year 14,025 had received two injections and 2,100 one
injection.
The London
Ambulance
Service
The London Ambulance Service and its ancillary services again removed more
patients than in the previous year, and considerably more than a million patients altogether,
a total distance of over 6 million miles, 136,000 fewer than in 1955.
The number of cases which were eligible for free rail transport again fell, from
3,466 in 1955 to 2,928.
During the year radio control was introduced and by the end of the year seven
vehicles had been equipped with radio and seven adapted as reserves.
Emergency calls showed an increase from 96,661 in 1955 to 97,823.
Mental
health
services
A re-arrangement of the statistics covering the work of the mental welfare officers
has been introduced to give a more accurate picture of its scope. The number of separate
referrals to mental welfare officers again showed a reduction as compared with those for
the previous year.
The work of domiciliary care and after-care after some restriction because of
shortage of staff showed a marked rise towards the end of the year when the full
establishment of four psychiatric social workers was employed.
The number of mentally defective persons admitted to institutional care during the
year was somewhat higher than in 1955 and the number on the waiting list at the end
of the year was 186 as compared with 230.
During the year the remainder of the twelve places in the hostel for mentally deficient
girls opened in the previous year were filled. A proposal that boys and girls leaving
schools for the educationally sub-normal should be maintained by the Council without
certification under the Mental Deficiency Acts in two hostels to be established by the
National Association for Mental Health was submitted to the Minister of Health for
approval.
During the year there was an increase in the number of places available in occupation
centres from 1,025 to 1,115.
Health
education
During the year it was decided to provide for all school-leavers from the Council's
schools a leaflet, in the form of a guide to health, giving prominence to the causal
connection between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. An investigation into the causes
of fatal and non-fatal home accidents and other related matters was carried out and has
been included as an appendix (page 212).
School
health
service
The percentage of school children found to be verminous showed a further decline.
In 1956 it was 1.9 per cent as against 8 per cent in 1948.
The scheme for the auditory training of very young deaf children was expanded.
95 per cent of school children were found at medical inspections to be satisfactory under
the system of classification with only two categories 'Satisfactory' and 'Unsatisfactory'
introduced by the Minister of Education on 1 January, 1956. The facilities for speech
therapy were expanded and satisfactory progress was made.
Pressure of work at the child guidance units continued to be heavy and because of
the long waiting lists consideration began to be given to the expansion of these facilities.
Dental
services
The position was not markedly different to that in 1955. A staff/pupil ratio of
1: 6,100 was the average throughout the County and notwithstanding this slight
improvement and an additional number of overtime sessions compared with the
previous year the position could only be regarded as thoroughly unsatisfactory.
So far as expectant and nursing mothers and children under five years were concerned
all demands were met but systematic inspection or advice could not be attempted.
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