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
Hackney 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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35
HOME HELP SERVICE
This service which is run from four home help offices, is in the main a
service for the elderly in the Borough who, because of illness, are unable to
run their homes without some extra assistance in the form of a home help. Every
attempt is made to provide some assistance to all eligible cases, and at times,
mainly due to shortage of home helps, it is necessary to spread the available
service somewhat thinly.
Meetings with the home help organisers are held monthly, when matters of common concern are discussed.
| Details of the service are set out below:- Number of new applications received | 1, 386 |
| Types of cases assisted: Maternity | 40 |
| Tuberculosis | 38 |
| Old people (over 65) | 3,661 |
| Chronic sick (under 65) | 457 |
| Early morning and evening help | 7 |
| Special help (problem families) | 2 |
| Mental disorders | 3 |
| Miscellaneous | 356 |
| Total No. of households assisted | 4,564 |
The majority of the miscellaneous cases were of acute illness in persons
under 65 years of age. Many of them are mothers who have to go into hospital
for a short period and a home help is sent into the home to act as a temporary
mother substitute. In providing this service the necessity for taking children
into temporary care is often avoided.
The early morning and evening help is provided when a mother is incapacitated
through ill-health and someone is required to get the children ready for
school and be at home in the afternoon on their return.
STAFF
Number of home helps employed at end of year:
Whole-time - 88
Part-time - 461
Equivalent of whole-time staff - 390
HEALTH CENTRES
In my previous Annual Report I referred to the John Scott Health Centre
which was planned and designed as long ago as 1947 during the first flush of
enthusiasm following the passing of the National Health Service Act, 1946.
The concept of Health Centres has, however, only slowly been accepted but in
the last year or two there has been awakening interest.
The West Hackney Maternity and Child Welfare Centre is the only maternity
and child welfare centre in the Borough which is held in a church hall and has
the usual disadvantages associated with such buildings despite the fact that
when the church and hall were rebuilt in 1960 some of our requirements were
incorporated in the design.