[Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Benfleet U.D.C., Canvey Island U.D.C., Rayleigh U.D.C., Rochford R.D.C. (South East Essex).

  • Benfleet (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Benfleet U.D.C., Canvey Island U.D.C., Rayleigh U.D.C., Rochford R.D.C. (South East Essex). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A cculents There were eight fatal aceidents on local roarls during 1964 (12 in 1963) and a total of 1,613 road accidents officially recorded in the four Dis- tricts. Accidents not associated with the highwaysaccounted for23deaths (28 in 1963) and all accidental deaths accounted for 3.2% of the total deaths in the four areas, as comjiared with 3.5% for the whole of England and Wales. It should be noted that those killed in fatal accidents on local roads were not necessarily local residents. Of local residents 17 were killed in road accidents (anywhere in the country) in 1964 asconi- pared with 10 in 1963. The Chief Constable of Essex in his report on Road Accidents in 1964 provides a table of selected ‘ R ’ roads with the incidence of acci- dents. The following local roads are included:— B.l()06. Tarpots to South Renfleet (1.85 miles) .. 74 accidents B.l()14. Hadleigh to Leigh Beck (6.93 miles)) .. 195 accidents B.l()13. Rayleigh to Rochford (7.12 miles) .. 138 accidents The peak hour for accidents in the County during 1964 was 4-5 p.m., and the peak day Saturday, and the peak month July. WELFARE OF THE AGED I am indebted to Dr. Batham for the following report: “ During the year 34 elderly folk were referred to the Department for assistance, as well as a further four cases from previous vears being reviewed. Nearly three-quarters of these were elderly females and of the total 20 were over 80 and one was 90. Twenty were living alone; 26 were widowed, seven married and five w'ere single. W'hen an aged person is brought to the notice of the Department as being in some form of need a visit is invariably made either by the Health Visitor, the Public Health Inspector, Domestic Help Organiser, or by myself, according to the evidence available. Invariably w'e find that the assistance of the domiciliary services is rec]uired, such as the Home Help or the District Nurse, but wdiere admission to a w'elfare home is desired the Area Welfare Officer is informed. Often cases are referred to the voluntary services, particularly as regards Meals-on-Wheels. And then, the condition of the property quite often comes into the picture and where the occupant is the tenant the assistance of the Local Authority, through the Public Health Inspector, is sought to negotiate with the landlord for any necessary repairs. A considerable amount of follow-up w'ork is entailed when dealing with the elderly, and as far as it has been possible to ascertain, the following summary shows the wav in which many of the cases were finally dealt with. Admitted to hospital 7 Admitted to welfare homes 3 Admitted to jnivate homes 1 Re-housed by Local Authority 1 Other ])rivate arrangements 2 Died 8 Remained at home with assistance from domiciliary services. 16