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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40
Personal Health Services
Social Security, considered it wise to withdraw the vaccine in March, and the consequent reduction
in supplies available was so great that measles vaccination virtually ceased until November, when
supplies increased and the programme re-commenced—priority groups being given the first opportunity.
There is no doubt as to the efficacy of measles vaccination, as the expected epidemic failed to
materialise, the number of cases being 1,204 instead of over 3,000 as anticipated.
At the end of the year the number of persons who had received vaccination against measles was
as follows:—
1969
Born in Year
1969 4
1968 212
1967 660
1966 417
1962-65 925
Others under 16 66
2,284
1968
Born in Year
1968 47
1967 466
1966 560
1965 551
1961-64 1,791
Others under 16 2,402
5,817
HOME HELP SERVICE
The number of Home Helps employed at the end of the year was 126. As the majority of these
are part-time, there was an equivalent of 71 full-time workers against an establishment of 100. The
recruitment of home helps, while there are so many other and often more lucrative forms of employment,
will always present a problem. This, coupled with an ever increasing demand mainly from the
elderly, means that the available resources have to be utilized in dealing with the most necessitous
cases.
The standard charge for the service remains at 6/8d. per hour, but persons unable to pay this
are assessed in accordance with the Council's scale. Recipients of Social Security Supplementary
Allowances are given a "Nil" assessment, as are patients suffering from toxaemia of pregnancy.
The following table shows the number and type of cases in which help was provided during the year.
| Aged 65 or over | Aged under 65 | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic sick and tuberculosis | Mentally Disordered | Maternity | Others | |||
| Number of Cases | 887 | 89 | 8 | 79 | 128 | 1,191 |
TUBERCULOSIS—PREVENTION, CARE AND AFTER CARE
There are two Chest Clinics in the Borough, one situated at Hillingdon Hospital and the other
at Mount Vernon Hospital. The Department employs one full-time tuberculosis visitor for the followup
of cases and contacts from both clinics. She advises on the prevention of spread of infection and
care and after care of the patient and, if required, the services of a health visitor are also available.
The response to treatment of tuberculosis by modern drugs is excellent in the majority of cases,
but the need to continue treatment until the lesion is considered to be cured cannot be over-emphasised.
It is to be regretted that in a few cases the lack of co-operation on the part of patients has resulted
in infection of members of families and other close contacts.