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
Beckenham 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beckenham]
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| CERTIFICATES OF INCAPACITY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST | INTERMEDIATE | FINAL | TOTAL | |
| January (ended 29.1.57) | 1122 | 3943 | 820 | 5885 |
| February (ended 26.2.57) | 972 | 3912 | 831 | 5715 |
| March (ended 26.3.57) | 1086 | 3963 | 907 | 5956 |
| April (ended 30.4.57) | 991 | 4709 | 913 | 6613 |
| May (ended 28.5.57) | 827 | 3660 | 620 | 5107 |
| June (ended 25.6.57) | 681 | 3485 | 563 | 4729 |
| July (ended 30.7.57) | 772 | 4132 | 681 | 5585 |
| August (ended 27.8.57) | 630 | 3172 | 472 | 4274 |
| September (ended 24.9.57) | 793 | 3214 | 538 | 4545 |
| October (ended 29.10.57) | 3685 | 5008 | 2640 | 11333 |
| November (ended 26.11.57) | 1355 | 3964 | 1510 | 6829 |
| December (ended 31.12.57) | 2019 | 4349 | 1490 | 7858 |
Each January a calculation is made of new claims to sickness
benefit in the 35 weeks from early April to early December of previous
year. An increase to 250 per cent of this average or an increase of
30 per cent over the previous week indicates an epidemic which is
almost always due to influenza. Notifications were received from the
local office of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance on the
7th January and on the 25th September.
The figures relate only to the working population eligible for
sickness benefit and excludes such important sections as the aged who
have retired and are drawing retirement pensions, school children and
pre-school children and the considerable number of married women
who have decided not to pay contributions.
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