the peckham experiment: an old study with modern implications


There were a number of factors that led to the closure of the Pioneer Health Centre which have been explored in Dr Scott Williamson's leaflet "The Passing of Peckham" (1951 - out of print. Enquiries to the email addresses given.)

These are summarised below:

    Financial
  • At the end of the war, the building was in need of substantial repair and re-equipment.
  • Research is expensive, even though the original experiment had been designed and conducted frugally. The first four years had given excellent data, but the Founders knew that if the research were to continue properly there would need to be adequate funds forthcoming.
  • Appeals for funds were not successful.
    Changed conditions in Peckham
  • As a result of the war, the social and demographic situations in Peckham had been changed, which would have an effect on any future research and the ability to build up the required membership to make a financial success. However, there were demands from a number of ex-members who wanted the Centre to re-open. (see photo of petition below)
    Staffing difficulties
  • New staff with no understanding of the ethos of the Centre were faced by old members who knew how the Centre had been run, thus staff went through a similar period of chaos that members had gone through when the Centre had first been opened. Staff were facing problems of parts of the building being out of action and equipment not being available, the latter probably caused by the chaos in manufacturing after the war. Lack of job security meant it was hard to get staff.
    Lack of Government understanding and support
  • "It appeared Peckham...in principle was deemed to be contrary to the policy of [the Ministry of Health}. We have it on the highest authority - the Ministry of Health through the London County Council as Regional administrators of the health Act - that Peckham could not receive their support because it could not be fitted into the existing administrative (regional) scheme."
  • Neither government officials nor the scientific community seemed to consider the Centre as a pure research project into 'health'. This may have been because of the then focus on disease.