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 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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31
RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAYS
Details of the holidays arranged for adults and children who nave suffered
from recent acute illness and wno need a short period of rest without medical
or nursing care, are set out below:-
Adults 209
Children under 5 not attending school 19
School children 141
HOME HELP SERVICE
This service which is organised from four home help area offices, is in the
main a service for the elderly in the Borough who, because of illness, require
domestic assistance. 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 montnly, when matters of
common concern are discussed.
Details of the service in this and the previous year are set out below:-
| 1966 | 1967 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of new applications received | 1, 386 | 1, 319 |
| Types of cases assisted: | ||
| Maternity | 40 | 51 |
| Tuberculosis | 38 | 37 |
| Old people (over 65) | 3, 661 | 3,774 |
| Chronic sick (under 65) | 457 | 483 |
| Miscellaneous | 368 | 352 |
| Total No. of households assisted | 4, 564 | 4,697 |
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 number of home helps employed rose from 390 (equivalent whole-time)
in 1966 to 423 in 1967.
HEALTH CENTRES
Section 21 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, empowered local
health authorities to build, equip and maintain premises to De called "health
centres", at which facilities would be available for local authority health
services, general medical service, general dental service, and the services
of specialists or other services provided for out-patient treatment under Part
II of the Act. The London County Council, which at that time was the local
health authority for London, designed and built one comprehensive health centre
which it so happened was sited in Health Division 4, now ttye London Borough of
Hackney. The centre referred to is the John Scott Health Centre, Stoke Newington.
A second centre at 210, Kingsland Road was designated as a health
centre, as general dental practice was carried on there.