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

East Ham 1950

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]

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63
SECTION 29 - HOME HELP SERVICE.
This service, which has come through many "teething troubles",
is playing a most valuable part to ensure a useful degree of help to those
households, burdened by sickness, or the presence of an aged person, or
threatened by domestic disaster from a variety of causes.
It was never anticipated that the care of the aged in their
own homes would make such heavy demands in working hours from our Home
Helps. Indeed this has brought into sharp focus the fact of our aging
community, for over one in ten of our burgessts is more than 65 years of age.
The efforts made by the Local Authority to ease the lot of these old
people should not mask, the pressing need for hospitalisation where sickness
is an added burden.
The figures shewn in the table (tabulation of cases) indicates
the continued growth and necessity for this service.
In 1949, 575 applicants received varying periods of service,
as against 679 for the year under review.
It will also be noted that in 1950, 205 cases had periods of
service of between 9-12 months as compared with 57 for 1949.
One hundred and sixty of the 205 applicants mentioned above were
aged persons.
The establishment of home helps approved by the Ministry of
Health, as on 31/12/50, remained the same as for the previous year, i.e.
60 full-time or their equivalent in part-time service.
The number employed at the end of 1950, was 6 permanent
(4 whole-time and 2 part-time) and 91 casual.
Full-time helps works a 44 hour week and the maximum number of
hours permitted for the service per week, equals 60 x 44 = 2,640.

Table: TABLE 40.PARTICULARS OF MENTAL DEFECTIVES REPORTED DURING 1950.

TABLE 40.

PARTICULARS OF MENTAL DEFECTIVES REPORTED DURING 1950.

MalesFemalesTotal
II. Particulars of cases reported during the year 1950:-
(1) Ascertainment-(a) Cases reported by Local Education Authorities (Section 57, Education Act, 1944)-
(i) Under Section 57 (3)6410
(ii) Under Section 57 (5):-
On leaving special schools123
On leaving ordinary schools---
(b) Other ascertained defectives reported during 1950 and found to be "Subject to be dealt wtth"6410
Total ascertained defectives found to be "Subject to be dealt with" during the year131023
(c) Other reported cases ascertained during 1950 who are not at present "Subject to be dealt with"---
Total No. of cases reported during the year131023
(2) Disposal of cases reported during the year:-
(a) Ascertained defectives found to be "Subject to be dealt with"-
(i) Admitted to Institutions112
(iii) Placed under guardianship---
(iii) Taken to "places of safety"-11
(iv) Placed under statutory supervision12820
(v) Died or removed from area---
(vi) Action not yet taken---
Total ascertained defectives found to be "Subject to be dealt with"131023
(b) Cases not at present "Subject to be dealt with"-
(i) Placed under voluntary supervision---
(ii) Later found not be defective---
(ii) Died or removed from area---
(iv) Action unnecessary---
(v) Action not yet taken---
Total cases not at present "Subject to be dealt with"---
ILL No. of cases in institutions, under community care including voluntary supervision or in "places of safety" on 1/1/50 who have ceased to be under any of these forms of care during 1950:-
(a) Ceased to be under care---
(b) Died, removed from area, or lost sight of---
IV. Of the total No. of defectives known to the L.H.A. -(a) No. who have given birth to children during 1950:-
(i) After marriage1
(ii) While unmarried1
(b) No. who have married during 1950---

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The maximum permitted number of hours for the year was 2,640
(per week) x 52 = 137,280, so it will be noted that for the period under
review there was a difference between the maximum and the actual hours
worked of 19,611 or a saving of 377 hours per week or the equivalent of ,
8i full-time helps on the establishment