[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tower Hamlets, London Borough].

  • Tower Hamlets (London, England). London Borough.
Date:
[1967]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tower Hamlets, London Borough]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/180 (page 4)
    The regional hospital board favours 'association' of their hospitals where required for the teaching of undergraduate students, without loss of administrative control. The local general practitioners are anxious not to lose the existing facilities allowing easy access of patients to the local non-teaching hospitals which have operated success fully as district hospitals for many years. The Borough Council is on record in favour of closer integration of the area health services by the encouragement of health centre types of practice; linking its own services with the general practitioners working in groups. The future may ultimately bring a combined approach of the hospital, executive council, and local health authority services perhaps in the manner foreshadowed in the Area Health Board concept of the 'Porritt Report' 1962, - replacing the numerous liaison committees and meetings now attempting to facilitate harmonious working of a tripartite national health service. DERELICT SITES This topic is of perennial concern but one which fortunately does decrease proport ionately with the years. Despite the efforts of departments of the Council, unsightly and unhygienic conditions continue to exist in parts of the borough often accentuated by inadequate fencing failing to prevent fly-tipping and trespassing. 'Meth drinkers' have become associated with these sites particularly on the western side of the borough. Reports on their activities are exaggerated but there is a great social nuisance' occasioned from these small schools of vagrants. This has led to a reaction by local residents in the formation of a 'Tower Hamlets Clean Up' campaign. The Spitalfields area is one focus of concentration of these undesirable elements. Whilst Cable Street is now being developed its former unsalubrious aspects are being transferred to the environs of Brick Lane. The process is the repetition of a familiar pattern that socially depressed areas in which slum property is intermixed with industrial, commercial activities together with a few lodging houses existing therein, will always proceed in a vicious spiral downward. If this extreme western section could be cleared and redeveloped without dispersing the problems to adjacent parts the major black spot of the borough would be eradicated. Vagrant elements, a floating population originating from outside the borough, cease to congregate in newly developed areas, and new arrivals of the same type would no longer be encouraged following the removal of the adverse environment in which they can at present find a precarious existence. There is a school of thought which argues that the social deviant should be rehabilitated at a place where he comes to rest. The Council has been unable fully to support this view, and would favour rehabilitation facilities outside the borough rather than that to its other manifold problems there should be added care and rehabilitation of the social flotsam and jetsam from many parts of the country. Various bodies, church and voluntary agencies, continue with specific projects to assist this small group of misfits. The reception centre section of the Ministry of Social Security, whose nearest hostel is in South London, has begun sending transport nightly into inner London areas known to have vagrants congregating on sites. Any such in need is offered free transport and a night's lodging at the centre, with provision of the Ministry's rehabilitation services to those wishing to avail themselves of the same. 4.