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
Woolwich 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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SANITARY ADMINISTRATION
SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA
During 1956 the Public Health Inspectors carried out 38,737
inspections, including re-inspections, being over 300 more than
in the previous year, and nearly 1,000 more than in 1954. The
nature of these inspections is shown in Table No. 8. As a result,
1,311 intimation notices and 559 statutory notices were served.
COMPLAINTS
The number of complaints received during the year was 3,176,
compared with 3,460 in 1955. Any necessary action was taken where
complaints were made or nuisances discovered.
TABLE No. 8. INSPECTIONS
| Complaints investigated | 2, 038 | Water sampling and testing | 59 |
| Complaints (reinspections) | 7,032 | ||
| Outworkers® premises | 534 | Rodent control | 2,980 |
| Houses re. overcrowding | 160 | Smoke observations | 71 |
| New houses re. water supply | 528 | Atmospheric Pollution | 349 |
| Houses re. infectious disease | 2,909 | Men's lavatories | 103 |
| Women's lavatories | 66 | ||
| Houses re. smallpox contacts | 29 | Houses re. choked drains | 96 |
| Houses re. vermin | 75 | Drainage inspections | 1,344 |
| Council housing applicants re. vermin | 1,047 | Houses, visits with owners, builders, etc. | 417 |
| Housing Act inspections | 533 | Houses re. slum clearance and redevelopment | 706 |
| Housing Act- Improvement Grants | 268 | ||
| Pet Animals premises | 67 | ||
| House-to-house inspections | 2,114 | Visits re. insect and other pests | 120 |
| Houses re. Certificates of Disrepair | 98 | ||
| Houses re. disinfection or destruction of articles Marshes, ditches, pools, | 9 | ||
| Aged and Infirm persons | 3,232 | ||
| Common Lodging Houses | 6 | ||
| Tents and Vans | 94 | ||
| factories mechanically powered | 261 | water courses, static water tanks, etc. | 127 |
| Factories non-mechanically powerd | 16 | Stables | 27 |
| Exhumations | 3 | ||
| Workplaces | 34 | Factories re. trade effluent sampling | 1 |
| Shops Act inspections | 758 | ||
| Food Premises | 3,051 | Hairdressers and Barbers | 388 |
| Itinerant vendors | 1 | Miscellaneous visits | 1,943 |
| Complaints re. food | 51 | Non-effectual visits | 4,579 |
| Shops re. Pharmacy and Poisons | 148 |
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