Public Health (London) Act 1891 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Citation | 54 & 55 Vict. c. 76 |
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The Public Health (London) Act 1891 was an important Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1891. This law helped improve public health in London. It made it easier for people to get medical care and changed who was responsible for clearing snow.
What the Act Did
This law had two main goals. It aimed to make healthcare more available. It also wanted to make London's streets safer and cleaner.
Expanding Hospital Access
Before this Act, hospitals run by the Metropolitan Asylums Board mainly helped people who received "poor relief." Poor relief was a type of government help for very poor people. The 1891 Act changed this. It allowed more people to use these hospitals, even if they were not getting poor relief. This meant more Londoners could get medical help when they needed it.
Clearing Snow from Streets
The Act also changed who was in charge of removing snow. Before 1891, individual householders were responsible for clearing snow from the footpaths outside their homes. This could be difficult and often led to messy streets. The new law gave this job to the London vestries and district boards. These were like local councils in London. This change made snow removal more organized and efficient.
See also
- Healthcare in London
- Public Health Act
