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THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
KENSINGTON, W.8.
29th June, 1949.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Royal Borough of Kensington.
My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in presenting the Annual Report on
the state of the public health in Kensington in 1948.
The Minister of Health has requested that the report should
be submitted in an abbreviated form, as has been the case each
year since the outbreak of the last war.
The year under review saw the commencement of the
operation of the National Health Service Act, the National
Insurance Act and the National Assistance Act. These measures
brought about great changes in the social welfare services of
the country. As might be expected the year proved a very
heavy one for public health departments generally; indeed, I
remember no period when the responsibilities of health officers
were greater. The Kensington maternity and child welfare and
tuberculosis dispensary services were transferred mainly to the London
County Council but partly to the Regional Hospital Board
on 5th July, 19U8. The Borough Council had devoted thirty
years to the building up of these services and, whilst they
regretted losing them, they determined that, Parliament having
so decided, they would do everything possible to smooth the
task of the authorities taking over. The Council recognised
that large public authorities assuming new responsibilities
over a wide area would take some little time to "get into their
stride", and they gave instructions that as far as Kensington
was concerned such steps should be taken as would enable the
services to operate efficiently from the day of transfer.
The changes involved the departure from the Council's
service of a number of valuable officers. These included
Dr. Charles P. Hay, the Deputy Medical Officer of Health, who
went to a Regional Hospital Board in April, 1948;
Dr. Violet I. Russell, who was transferred on the 5th July,19U8,
to the London County Council and is now Assistant Divisional
Medical Officer for the L.C.C. area which includes Kensington;
and Miss K.M. Roe, who is now Divisional Nursing Officer in a
London County Council Divisional area. These officers and
many others of those transferred had bbtained nraph experience in
Kensington. Their work had been highly regarded by the Borough
Council and it is satisfactory to record that the majority of
them are still working in Kensington although for another
authority. During the autumn, when I was absent from duty,
Dr. Russell - by arrangement with the County Council - carried
out my duties with efficiency.