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
Beddington and Wallington 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beddington and Wallington]
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During the year voluntary help in the conduct of infant welfare centres
was provided by many generous-hearted ladies in the district. Among
these, mention should "be made of the ladies of the Inner Wheel of Rotary
and of the British Red Cross Society, who continued to supply the greater
part of the voluntary help given.
TUBERCULOSIS.
The responsibility for the treatment of cases of Tuberculosis, previously
undertaken by the Surrey County Council, passed to the Regional Hospital
Board on the 5th July. Dispensary facilities continue to be available for
residents of the Borough at the St. Helier Hospital, Carshalton.
IMMUNISATION AGAINST DIPHTHERIA.
Four clinics are held weekly to give immunisation against diphtheria.
These are held at each of the three Infant Welfare Centres and at the
Medical Officer of Health's Department at the Town Hall.
The following table gives the number of children who were treated during the year and, after necessary corrections, the number ofchildren known to be immunised in both age groups :—
| 0-5 years | 5-15 years | Total 0-15 years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approximate number of children in the Borough at 31st Dec., 1948 | 2,610 | 3,781 | 6,391 |
| Children who completed full course of immunisation during the year | 399 | 76 | 475 |
| Number of children who received reinforcing injections during the year | 32 | 184 | 216 |
| Number of children known to be immunised at 31st Dec., 1948 .. | 1,418 | 2,525 | 3,943 |
Alum precipitated toxoid (A.P.T.) is provided free from the Government's
Central Laboratories and has been used throughout the year in
our immunisation scheme. No cases of illness have resulted from the
injections and no child has been prevented from following his daily
routine on treatment days.
This is one of the services transferred to the local health authority
on 5th July. As a result of the Minister's wish that all medical practitioners
should take a full part in the immunisation service, many more
cases are being immunised by practitioners, who render a return of each
case treated to the Divisional Medical Officer. This return may have an
important bearing on statistical information available in future years, as
prior to the 5th July it had been found impossible to obtain information
of patients immunised by private practitioners.
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