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BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS
The Health Department provides a daily collection service of specimens sent by general
practitioners to Bidborough House, Hampstead Old Town Hall in Haverstock Hill or to Barnes House
Maternity and Child Welfare Centre, N.W.I for examination by the Public Health Laboratory, County
Hall. S.E.I.
This service examined 1,693 specimens from persons in Camden. Of these 243 were positive
for dysentery (mainly Shigella sonnei), 25 were positive for food poisoning organisms and 1 throat
swab showed haemolytic streptococci.
I am indebted to the Director of the London (County Hall) Bacteriological Laboratory; the
late Dr. A.J.H. Tomlinson, M.D., for his advice and assistance in providing this service.
HOUSING
INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS
All complaints received by the department, by letter, telephone or by personal visit are investigated.
Most concern defects in the home such as dampness or lack of repair. Where the complaint
is justified action depends on the particular circumstances. Often informal action such as a telephone
call to the landlord is all that is necessary, but in other instances a Notice under Section 93 of the
Public Health Act 1936 requiring the abatement of the "nuisance" is served. During the year 6,117
complaints were received involving 14,730 inspections and reinspections and the service of 1,595
Intimation Notices and 964 Statutory Notices. Summonses were taken out in 33 cases, with twenty
Orders being made for work to be carried out.
ROUTINE INSPECTION
While many housing defects come to light by the complaint of the occupant, routine inspections
are also necessary to maintain the best possible conditions particularly in houses occupied
by more than one family. Routine inspections deal both with general disrepair and with the provision
of additional amenities as needed. Such routine inspections are carried out generally on the basis
of streets or defined areas which, in consultation with the Planning Officer are found to be of a
type that with repair and/or improvement will provide satisfactory dwellings and which are not in
areas of proposed redevelopment.
Individual houses outside these areas which come to the notice of the department as requiring
repair or improvement are also inspected.
Conditions of general disrepair are dealt with under Section 9 of the Housing Act 1957.
During the year 4,402 inspections and reinspections were made under this Section and 42 Notices
were served.
Where, in houses occupied by more than one family, there is a lack of amenities such as a
separate water supply, washing facilities or sanitary accommodation the Council has power under
Section 15 of the Housing Act 1961 to require the provision of such amenities. Where additional
amenities are required, normally an informal notice is sent and statutory notices are served only
when the informal notice is ineffective. During 1966, 6,884 inspections and reinspections were made
under this Section. 630 informal notices were sent and statutory notices were served in respect of
35 premises.
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