London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Leyton 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
This page requires JavaScript
Period 28th September, 1953 to 13th March, 1954
| Type of Work Done | Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. General duties in connection with rodent control | 2,1771 |
| 2. Operation of smoke machine and assisting Sanitary Inspectors in carrying out smoke tests of drainage suspected of being the source of rodent infestation | 139¼ |
| 3. General handyman duties in and around the Health Offices and Stores (including maintenance and cleaning of equipment, smoke machines, pressure sprayers, poison bait containers, etc. | 166 |
| 4. Disinfection of premises following infectious disease, and disinfestation of premises of vermin (bugs, flies, etc.) | 120 |
| 5. Collection of infected/soiled bedding following infectious disease or death, and the operation of the steam disinfection process | 26 |
| 6. Delivery by public transport of samples of food and drugs to the Public Analyst and other laboratories | 39 |
| 7. Other duties in connection with sampling—cleaning and sterilisation of equipment, utensils, jars, bottles, etc., and supervision of stores | 28 |
| 8. Collection of foodstuff's condemned by the Sanitary Inspectors, and supervision of its destruction at the Council's destructor works | 44½ |
| Total | 2,740 |
With reference to duties 4, 5 and 6 (above), it will be noted from the
tabular statement which follows that the present arrangements, when
measured against the old procedure of hiring a motor van and driver at
9s. 6d. per hour from the motor pool, shows a financial saving to the Council
for the six months period of £51 0s. 6½d.; and there appears to be no
valid reason why the saving should not continue—which means that in
10 years the saving to the Council would be in the region of £1,000.
Summary showing financial saving for period 28th September, 1953 to 13th March, 1954—six four-weekly periods
| Type of Work | Total hours | Comparative Costs | Financial Saving | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Rate at 9s. 6d. per hour | New Rate at 3s. 3½d. per hour | |||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| 4. Disinfection (I.D.) Disinfestation (Vermin) | 120 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 15 | 0 | 37 | 5 | 0 |
| 5. Collection of bedding, etc.* | 26 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| 6. Delivery of samples to laboratories | 39 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 4½ | 12 | 2 | 1½ |
| Totals | 185 | 87 | 17 | 6 | 30 | 8 | 11½ | 57 | 8 | 6½ |
| * Less cost of transport for collection, etc., 10 hours at 9s. 6d. | 4 | 15 | 0 | |||||||
| Less fares (public transport) | 1 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 8 | |||||
| Net saving | 0 | 6½ | ||||||||