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7
The main body of the Report covers the many aspects of the work of the
three metropolitan borough and the Division 4 health departments before the
1st April, 1965, and of the joint Health Department from that date. In this
preface I would only wish to draw attention to some of the more important or
striking aspects of the work as seen in 1965.
For the first time for many years diphtheria returned to the Borough.
The first case came to light after a young boy had been admitted to the Eastern
Hospital from the Reception Centre in Morning Lane, with chickenpox. Although
at that time the department was busily engaged in reorganisation, the work had
temporarily to be left. All the inhabitants of Morning Lane were swabbed
repeatedly, and also children of the nearby schools. Some 1,800 throat swabs
were taken, and as a result 40 carriers were discovered and a further 4 cases
were notified. Some of the cases spilled over the boundary into what is
now Tower Hamlets, and they also had cases and carriers there. A great deal
of work was laid on the staff of the Health Department of the then Metropolitan
Borough of Hackney, and also the staff of Health Division 4 of the London
County Council: work cheerfully undertaken, although all staff at that time
were busy with reorganisation, and, what might have been an explosive situation
was soon brought under control.
The attack rate of tuberculosis continues to show the decline it has been
showing for the last few years, but the Hackney rate of 0.53 per thousand is
still somewhat above the national average.
Lung cancer still shows as one of the main causes of death and, as has
been expected, is becoming an increasing cause of death in females.
The personal health services are new to many members of the Health Committee
and to many members of the Council in general - they are described in detail
in the main body of the Report.
Amongst the many good services we inherited from the London County Council,
one of the show pieces is the health centre at Woodberry Down. This was the
first health centre to be built under the National Health Service Act. Its
planning was ambitious and it is still probably the biggest health centre in
the country. It is visited by important visitors from all over the world,
and it is a centre to which many teaching bodies send their students to learn
about health centres and the various aspect of health centre services. As a token
of respect to the late Dr. John Scott who as Deputy Medical Officer of Health
and, subsequently. Medical Officer of Health to the London County Council, had
very much to do with the setting up and subsequent running of the Health Centre,
The Council decided to re-name the Woodberry Down Health Centre. It is now
called the John Scott Health Centre, Woodberry Down.
The new Authority is now responsible for the many aspects of the nursing
services outside hospital. Prior to 1st April, 1965, the district nursing
service was carried out on an agency basis by the various voluntary nursing
associations covering Hackney, Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, and Stoke Newington.
Before amalgamation the Shoreditch and Bethnal Green Association split up;
the main part amalgamated with the East London District Nursing Association
serving Tower Hamlets, the part remaining becoming the responsibility of the
Hackney District Nursing Association. The two remaining voluntary associations
then indicated to the new London Borough that they did not wish to continue to
function after 31st March, 1965. As a result, the district nursing service
in now run directly by the new London Borough. I would in this Report, which
covers the last period of their existence, wish to thank the voluntary District
Nursing Associations for all the good work they did for the district nursing service
in the past.
Apart from the district nurses, the Department has a number of grades of
nursing staff. There are seven day nurseries in the Borough, caring for
children during the day-time and employing 70-80 nursery nursing staff.