[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney].

  • Stepney (London, England). Metropolitan Borough.
Date:
[1963]
Catalogue details

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

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/102 (page 3)
    The Housing Act 1961, particularly its powers in respect of Houses in Multiple Occupation, has brought a great number of houses in the Borough within the scope of the Department to ensure better standards of management and the provision of additional amenities in these pro perties. The formation of an expanded housing section in the Department to survey houses in multiple occupation, and assist landlords in their schemes for conversion, is already bearing fruit in a growing number of such houses being regularly inspected to ensure better standards. Management orders are being made, as required. The task is time-consum ing, relying as it does on persuasion in the first instance, and because of the absence of any minimum statutory standard of essential amenities written into the standard of fitness. In order that improvements to substandard property might be accel erated in this area the definition of standard of fitness contained in Section 4 of the Housing Act, 1957, should be so amended that a house is deemed to be not suitable for occupation unless reasonable amenities are provided therein. To turn to a more comforting and encouraging aspect of the year's work, services for the care of the aged have been improved. The number of old people supplied with meals at clubs, or at home, continues to increase - thanks to the excellent work of The Stepney Old People's Welfare Association, and the purpose-built kitchen and club of the Women's Voluntary Service. With the decision of the Council to take over, as from April 1st 1963, the financial provision of this service, and using further powers now available, it is hoped to plan the integration of an invalid meals service within the existing old people's meals service. The Council has increased its subsidy to the flourishing Workroom for the Elderly which continues to run under a voluntary committee in premises owned by the Borough Council. The wisdom of setting up a Holiday Centre at Sandgate ensures that 18 Old Age Pensioners weekly can enjoy a cheap holiday away from Stepney under excellent conditions. The remaining 18 places filled as they are in the season by young family groups, maintains an all-age group clientele which is appreciated by most residents. For some time, a survey of old people in the Borough has been discussed. Whilst this has not been possible under statutory authority, young people's groups of different religious affiliations are making door-to-door surveys in selected parts of the area. Their work may not be statistically valid by the standards of a professional social survey yet they have revealed old people in need. At the same time they have acquired an awareness of community problems, knowledge of which is likely to prove more beneficial in terms of human relationships than an arid scientific investigation. The Consultant Chest Physician., Dr. R.M. Orpwood, contributes a general item on Tuberculosis in Stepney, on page 48 of the report. There has been some improvement over the year, but with the added problems that 3