[Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Hastings County Borough.

  • Hastings (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1971
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Hastings County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (e) Food poisoning: No case was notified during the year. (f) Influenza: The winter of 1970-71 and spring 1971 did not produce any large scale epidemic of influenza: a number of small sporadic outbreaks of both virus A and B type did occur in this country, but the total cases nationally were relatively few. In October, 800 staff accepted the offer of influenza vaccination, a procedure mounted for the fourth year running. Infestations: Facilities are available at the main clinics to bath and treat adults and children with scabies or pediculosis if so requested by a general practitioner, and the steam disinfector at St. Helen’s Hospital is used for disinfestation of clothing, bedding and other articles. The Health Visitors and Public Health Inspectors work together on these cases. During the year 47 cases of scabies, 188 of fleas, and 13 of head lice were dealt with, involving a total of 81 visits to cases, 72 to premises, 88 clinic attendances and 23 cases where advice was given otherwise. The number of articles disinfected was 250 and 631 rooms were disinfected/ disinfested. Isolation Facilities: The care of infectious disease cases remains in the hands of the Medical Officer of Health and Deputy and continues the unified control of investigation, treatment and prevention of these diseases from the Health Department. The Unit providing 12 beds in single rooms in Ward 12 at St. Helen’s Hospital serves a population of some 130,000 residents, including Bexhill, Battle and Rye, and is of great use in the summer months in dealing with the problems arising among holidaymakers when infectious disease declares itself. A total of 180 cases of notifiable and non-notifiable diseases were admitted.