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

Walthamstow 1958

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

65
Prevention of Tuberculosis.
The various preventive measures detailed in the Report for
1950 continued in subsequent years and were shared between the
Borough Council as Sanitary Authority, and as the Excepted
District for Education, and by the Health Area Sub-Committee
administering the Part III Services under the National Health
Service Act.
The preventive services operated by the Borough Council
include the following : Rehousing on Medical Grounds, "Mobile
Meals" where necessary and Housing Inspection, both to improve
living conditions and to investigate possible sources of infection.

Table: SICKNESS BENEFITThe arrangement under which a statement of new claims for Sickness Benefit is received weekly from the Ministry of National Insurance has provided an interesting measure of morbidity. During the past seven years the weekly average of new claims was as follows.

SICKNESS BENEFIT

The arrangement under which a statement of new claims for Sickness Benefit is received weekly from the Ministry of National Insurance has provided an interesting measure of morbidity. During the past seven years the weekly average of new claims was as follows.

1952195319541955195619571958
January464747500660578661674
February433832513632630412457
March390401375474432470400
April350300267300279304320
May270232314263291314261
June214237252264249257232
July200197220224228221220
August205201209228214214200
September262257284271295429266
October3693703483633681,202382
November311360366370424598405
December426291299350339669457
Average per week323363327360357479346

Text

Copy text to clipboard

(The large number of claims in January and February, 1953,
reflected the delayed effects of the severe "smog" experienced in
December, 1952. The incidence of Influenza is reflected in the
October, 1957 figure).
G .—MISCELLANEOUS
1. Old People's Welfare.
The Town Clerk as Honorary Secretary of the Walthamstow
Old People's Welfare Association, states that the Association's
"Meals on Wheels" Service provided 19,501 meals during 1958.
Six rounds are operated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but
it is proposed to start a seventh round in the early part of 1959. The
meals are obtained from the Council's Catering Department and