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
Hillingdon 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]
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Statistics, Infectious Diseases, Health Control Unit London (Heathrow) Airport 21
workers, etc. is now low. Personal and environmental hygiene measures, including rodent control,
have no doubt contributed to this improvement, and some experts wonder to what extent the widespread
use of detergents in home and industry may have affected the situation in the sewers.
One case of Leptospirosis occurred in the Borough during 1969. This was an unfortunately
tragic case in which a 63 years old man fell into a canal and although none the worse for his ordeal,
he became ill 12 days later. His condition deteriorated and 7 days after admission to hospital he died
from bronchopneumonia and renal failure secondary to Weils disease, which is one of the forms
of Leptospirosis.
The following Table shows the incidence of infectious diseases during 1969.
| Scarlet Fever | 1 | 20 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 60 | 129 | - | - | |
| Diphtheria | |||||||||||
| Whooping Cough | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 17 | 123 | 1 | — |
| Measles | 38 | 286 | 370 | 476 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1,204 | 471 | - | — |
| Meningococcal Infection | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 | - | — |
| Poliomyelitis (Paralytic) | |||||||||||
| Poliomyelitis (Non-Paralytic) | |||||||||||
| Acute Encephalitis (Infective) | — | — | — | — | 1 | I | 2 | 4 | 4 | - | — |
| Acute Encephalitis (Post Infective) | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | - | — |
| Smallpox | |||||||||||
| Typhoid | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | — |
| Paratyphoid | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | - | — |
| Dysentery | 1 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 34 | 76 | 228 | - | 1 |
| Food poisoning | 5 | 11 | 8 | 38 | 23 | 11 | 24 | 120 | 111 | - | — |
| Tuberculosis, Respiratory | — | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | 32 | 40 | 48 | 4 | 3 |
| Tuberculosis, Other | _ | — | — | 1 | I | 1 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| Infective Jaundice | — | 2 | — | 8 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 59 | 17 | — | — |
| Leptospirosis | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | — |
Health Control Unit, London (Heathrow) Airport
Fourteen and a quarter million passengers used the Airport during the year and 293,745 aircraft
flew in and out. The new passenger Terminal 1 was officially opened by the Queen in April, and later
in the year the new Cargo Terminal started operating. The new arrivals building for Terminal 3 and
Pier 7 for the arrival of the "Jumbo-jets" also rapidly took shape and should be completed in 1970.
On the medical side, the British Airports Authority took over the nursing staff on January 1st
and as the year went on, it became clear that the Authority was most anxious to establish a properly
organised medical service for staff, visitors and passengers. Following the appointment of a Principal
Nursing Officer, Dr. Trueman, the Chief Medical Officer, and his administrative colleagues introduced
a number of improvements. Alterations to existing buildings were undertaken and a central medical
unit is in process of being set up, staffed throughout the day and night. Much new equipment has
been ordered and delivered, including modern drugs and dressings to meet the day to day medical
emergencies and to provide for the crash, which all hope, of course, will never happen. Throughout,
full consultation has taken place and expert opinion sought, so that only the best and most appropriate
is at hand for any particular contingency.
The medical staff of the Health Control Unit, who are "on call" to the British Airports Authority
in case of need, have watched these developments with the greatest interest, and in particular, the
Deputy Senior Medical Officer has given much time, thought and help to the Authority on lists of
drugs, dressings and other medical equipment which should be made available.