London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hackney 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
This page requires JavaScript
23
With continuing co-operation between the hospitals, Health Department
and Social Services Department, it is to be hoped that the situation will
improve and battered children will become a less common occurrence.
OBSERVATION AND HANDICAPPED REGISTER
Details of all pre-school children who, it is thought, are at risk of
developing a handicap are recorded on the Observation Register which is kept
on a Kalamazoo Punch Card System to facilitate systematic follow-up. If the
Medical Officer subsequently reports that the child's development has proceeded
normally, the child is removed from the register. If, however, a
handicapping condition is found, the child's name is transferred to the
handicap section of the register, along with details of all handicapped
school children. All children are reviewed annually about their month of
birth so that the register is kept 'live'.
An additional form for children aged under 5 years on the Handicap Register was instituted during the year, in order to clarity the action being taken to decide the child's educational and social future.
| Age under 5 | Age over 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total number on Handicap Register at 31st December 1972 | 274 | 1, 300 |
| Admitted to Handicapped Register during 1972 | 59 | 400 |
| Total number on Observation Register at 31st December 1972 | 1,643 | 3 |
| Admitted to Observation Register during 1972 | 670 | - |
Number of children aged under 5 on both Handicap and Observation
Registers by year of birth:-
Born 1972 825
" 1971 335
" 1970 194
" 1969 160
" 1968 104
Number removed from Handicap and/or Observation Register during 1972
for the following reasons: -
Died 10
Moved away 257
Became medically fit 984
Number of children on Handicap Register reaching school age during
1972 likely to need special schooling - 99.
Age under 5 Age over 5
Total number with single handicap 129 1, 140
Total number with multiple handicaps 53 224