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

Waltham Forest 1969

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Waltham Forest]

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Health Visiting
FIELD WORK SERVICES
The cuts in the departmental budget, made after the financial year had begun, had a
most unfortunate effect on this service since the number of clinic/school nurses who assist
the Health Visitors had to be held below establishment while the number of Health Visitors
was also kept below the number required to provide an adequate service and the number of
visits made by Health Visitors fell off sharply. Both Medical Officers and Health Visitors
were involved in duties normally carried out by Clinic Nurses, such as preparation of clinics,
hygiene inspections in schools, or weighing of babies in Infant Welfare Clinics; a most
uneconomical use of the scarce and highly trained professional staff.
The Health Visitors continued to work in close co-operation with the Housing Department
and social agencies to prevent the break-up of families where rent arrears are very often
the presenting symptom of more serious social problems. The statistics show that this part of
the work is increasing.

Table: Notification of families in tower blocks again formed a substantial proportion of the total notifications of those liable to be evicted for rent arrears. But a new pattern is now emerging - it would appear that families living in any new development area, not necessarily in tower blocks, are being subjected to greater stress owing to the need to pay a much higher rent than that of their old accommodation.

Notification of families in tower blocks again formed a substantial proportion of the total notifications of those liable to be evicted for rent arrears. But a new pattern is now emerging - it would appear that families living in any new development area, not necessarily in tower blocks, are being subjected to greater stress owing to the need to pay a much higher rent than that of their old accommodation.

YEARNOTIFICATION TO H.VS FOR INVESTIGATIONDISCUSSED AT CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEEADMITTED TO TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONADMITTED TO TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FROM NON-COUNCIL DWELLINGS
1967468180024
1968717(*176)150(*33)329
1969915(*209)196(*61)1036

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*Tower Blocks
At the Hurst Road Health Centre and Handsworth Avenue Health Centre Health Visitors
are attached to the group of general practitioners. The medical and health visiting staff are
most enthusiastic about these schemes and the patients are receiving a more comprehensive
service.
A weekly obesity clinic is held at Handsworth Avenue Health Centre. Patients with
medical conditions which necessitate slimming, are referred by their general practitioner.
Advice is given regarding diet; a low carbohydrate diet is used, height and weight charted at
first visit and then the person is weighed weekly.
The department was informed of the following accidents during 1969 and Health Visitors
have visited these homes to give the parents all the necessary help and to try to prevent any
future accidents occurring:-
- 16-