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Notable progress in housing was made, and extracts are given
from a report presented to the Council by the Town Clerk, Borough
Architect, Engineer and Surveyor and Housing Manager. Towards
the end of the year it was decided to proceed with the clearance of
unfit houses, and details are given of four small clearance areas.
Infectious diseases continued at an average incidence, and again
there was no case of confirmed diphtheria. Deaths from infectious
diseases given by the Registrar General included the following:
Tuberculosis 22, Syphilitic disease 4, Meningococcal infections 1,
Poliomyelitis 1. The incidence of dysentery served once more to
stress the need for strict personal hygiene.
Graphs are given showing the notification and death rates of
tuberculosis. With the continuing rate of notification and the
smaller death rate, there must be an increase in the number of
infective persons in the community, in spite of new methods of
treatment. For some years it has been the local practice to treat
each new case of tuberculosis as a case of major infectious disease,
and to attempt to trace the infecting source.
During the year a public conference was convened by the
Council in regard to old people's welfare. Many thousands of
booklets were issued to old people, setting out the services available
and including a reply card if a visit was desired. The results of the
visits paid by the health visitors is recorded.
The personal health services are now dealt with by the
Walthamstow Health Area Sub'Committee of the County Health
Committee. Staffing continued to be satisfactory except for some
difficulty in recruiting health visitors, especially for tuberculosis
duties.
In spite of the increased charges at day nurseries, the average
attendance after an initial fall recovered to 92 out of 120 places.
Training at day nurseries continued with good results and of 14
who gained their certificates in 1952 and 1953, no fewer than 6
proceeded to general nursing training.
Good work was again done by the health visiting, home nursing
and midwifery staff. Although Thorpe Coombe Maternity
Hospital now deals with patients from the whole of the Hospital
Group, a large part of the work done is for Walthamstow mothers
and it is a pleasure to record once again the good work carried out
at Thorpe Coombe, and the co-operation received from Miss Helen
Rodway, F.R.C.O.G., Consultant Obstetrician.