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6
Food Hygiene. The work of enforcing the requirements of the
Pood Hygiene Regulations was continued throughout the year. Food
traders and the public are generally striving to maintain a high
hygienic standard in connection with the storage, preparation and sale
of food. The willingness of most people to co.operate in the task of
ensuring clean food becomes more evident as time goes on. Unfortunately,
the need for periodical inspections is still an urgent one, as is
indicated by the number of informal notices served (25 in 1960) by
the public health inspectors for various contraventions of the Hygiene
Regulations and the greater need to take Court proceedings against
wilful offenders.
General. During the year the deputy medical officer of
health, Dr. Hastings E.A. Carson, was successful in obtaining the
appointment of Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of St. Marylebone.
He left the Council's service on 28th August, 1960, and I would like
to record here my appreciation of the valuable assistance which he gave
to me efficiently and loyally during the four years he worked in
Kensington. I would also like to record my pleasure in welcoming my
new deputy, Dr. Derek J. Sheerboom, who was formerly the senior
assistant medical officer of health for the City of Bristol.
Dr. Sheerboom took up his appointment on 1st October, 1960.
I regret that during the year the death occurred of Miss
Vera Osborne, who had been employed as the accounts clerk in the
public health department for nearly twenty years.
In addition, there were other changes in the staffing of
the department, which tend to affect adversely its smooth working.
To overcome the shortage of public health inspectors, the Council
agreed to permit the existing officers to use their own cars on
official work on a "casual.user" basis, and have also increased the
staff by the appointment of unqualified assistants to help the inspectors.
The Council's scheme for training students as public health
inspectors received its first reward during 1960, when one of the
students successfully qualified and was immediately appointed to the
permanent staff of public health inspectors. It is hoped that
further benefit will be derived from the training scheme in the next
twelve months.
VITAL STATISTICS
The table set out on pages 8 and 9 gives the important
vital statistics for 1960, together with comparative figures for
the previous seven years.