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 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Waltham Forest]
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With regard to venereal disease, the following table shows the numbers of new cases notified to hospitals in the London area from this borough during 1970:-
| HOSPITAL | SYPHILIS | GONORRHOEA | OTHER VENEREAL CONDITIONS | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY a SECONDARY | OTHER | ||||
| Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich | - | - | - | 4 | 4 |
| St. Thomas' Hospital, S.E. 1 | - | 1 | 3 | 25 | 29 |
| The Prince of Wales Hospital, N. 15 | - | 2 | 19 | 162 | 183 |
| The London Hospital, E. 1 | 1 | 7 | 90 | 524 | 622 |
| Queen Mary's Hospital, E. 15 | - | - | 31 | 182 | 213 |
| St. Bartholomew's Hospital | - | - | 4 | 33 | 37 |
| Eastern Hospital, E.9 | - | - | 25 | 30 | |
| The Middlesex Hospital, W.I | - | - | 34 | 38 | |
| Westminster Hospital, S.W.I | - | - | - | 6 | 6 |
| 1 | 10 | 156 | 995 | 1,162 | |
Local health educational efforts against venereal disease are by means of posters,
leaflets, lectures by doctors, nurses, health visitors and teachers to schools and youth groups
in the educational system and to outside organisations.
Special posters are used in all the conveniences under the control of the borough,
giving the necessary warning and showing details of all the hospitals in the area where treatment
can be obtained.
RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION
Old People's
Homes
Although, over all, staffing was not the problem it had been in previous years, nevertheless
at some times of the year in certain homes we ran into acute problems and in fact
Heathcote at Christmas faced total breakdown, something only once before experienced in the
life of Waltham Forest. The Social Responsibility Centre found volunteers to come to our
rescue and in a few days the crisis was overcome but the prospect of sixty elderly, confused,
many incontinent, people with no one to care for them was for a time a real possibility staring
us in the face.
The high spot of the year was the opening of Essex Hall. This Home, the first to be
built in the Borough by the Council for Waltham Forest (the other six having been built by the
Essex (County Council) was opened in 1970.
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