London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Finchley 1964

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]

This page requires JavaScript

Any person who has died or been found dead in these circumstances in Finchley
is buried in the St. Pancras Cemetery. One burial was carried out by the Council
during the year.
EXHUMATIONS
Licences for the removal of human remains under the Burial Act, 1857, state,
inter alia, " It is considered advisable that the medical officer of health should be
notified whenever such a licence is granted in order that he may be in a position to
take (under his general powers) any action that may appear to him to be necessary
in the interests of public health. Five copies of licences for such removals were
received from the Home Office during the year.
The exhumations were carried out in the early hours of the morning and were
observed by a public health inspector, to ensure compliance with the conditions of tin
licences.
MORTUARY
The Council provide a mortuary under the provisions of the Public Health Act,
1936, and the Coroner, whose district includes Finchley, uses his power in Section 24
of the Coroner's Amendment Act, 1926, to direct that bodies from the Potters Bar
and Friern Barnet Urban Districts, which are also within his district, shall be taken
to the Finchley Mortuary.
Two hundred and forty-seven bodies were received into the mortuary during 1964,
and of these 81 were from the Friern Barnet area and 31 from Potters Bar. Post
mortem examinations were carried out in all cases.
CONFERENCES AND COURSES
Money spent on the attendance of officers at conferences and courses is a sound
investment, both for the authority and the officers concerned. It is the best means of
keeping abreast of current developments in the various fields and gives the officer
an opportunity to discuss mutual problems with colleagues.
There is no doubt at all that a conference or course is enriched by the contributions
added by the participants.
A list of conferences and courses attended during the year is shown on page 77.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Fifty-four examinations were undertaken during the year. Thirty persons were
examined in respect of new appointments; 14 were examined for transfer to the
permanent staff and two were found to be unfit; four were for special report following
33