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 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Group | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children 0-4 years | 100 | 137 | 129 |
| 5-14 years | 6,381 | 6,390 | 7,062 |
| Males 15-64 years | 14,805 | 14,442 | 14,766 |
| 65 years and over | 15,435 | 15,410 | 17,613 |
| Females 15-59 years | 59,217 | 56,581 | 57,980 |
| 60 years and over | 76,067 | 76,887 | 89,185 |
| Total | 172,005 | 169,847 | 186,735 |
It will be noted that 57 per cent. of the treatments were given to old people. Attendance
at the clinics by persons in other age groups, except in so far as they concern expectant
mothers or the physically handicapped, are confined to clinics which were in existence in
1948. Besides attending some of the foot clinics, school children are treated also at school
treatment centres.
The fluctuation in total attendances over the 12 years under review was due in the main
to inability to recruit sufficient chiropodists to staff all the sessions all the time. A contributory
cause was the non-attendance of patients for whom an appointment had been booked.
It is difficult to assess in advance the wastage likely to arise from this cause and to counteract
it by overbooking, but at all clinics an effort is made to secure a good attendance.
The voluntary organisations in receipt of grants from the Council provided in the year
1960/61 a total of 76,321 treatments (55,955 at clinics, 7,841 at private surgeries of chiropodists
and 12,525 at patients' homes).
Staff— Difficulty has been experienced in maintaining a full staff in the Council's clinics
and it has been particularly difficult to get full-time staff. At the end of the year the equivalent
of 57.7 full-time chiropodists (35 full-time and 79 part-time staff) were employed against
an establishment of 62.5.
Conclusion—Experience has shown that a chiropody service, particularly for old people,
helps to prevent the development of serious foot trouble and ill-health arising therefrom
and by keeping old people mobile reduces demands on hospital beds, the home nursing
service and the home help service. It is impossible to forecast with accuracy the future needs
for chiropody but it is apparent that, apart from limitations imposed by financial and staffing
considerations, the service could be considerably expanded.
Recuperative holidays
| 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expectant and nursing mothers | 141 | 138 | 111 | 123 | 109 |
| Other adults | 2,590 | 2,510 | 2,289 | 2,457 | 2,175 |
| Children under 5 not at school | 602 | 660 | 575 | 571 | 512 |
| School and nursery school children | 2,842 | 2,852 | 2,507 | 2,597 | 2,357 |
| 6,175 | 6,160 | 5,482 | 5,748 | 5,153 |
The Council maintains a recuperative holiday home at Littlehampton, Sussex, for
36 children from 3 to 8 years of age and leases another home at Bognor Regis, Sussex,
for 44 children from 8 to 15 years old. Children who could not be accommodated in these
homes and all adults have been placed in homes under private ownership or maintained
by voluntary organisations.
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