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the boundaries of the former county, they do now, in fact, those of Greater London. For
any one borough, therefore, their cost would be prohibitive whilst their range would make
their use inappropriate. The Joint Committee of the English and Scottish Health Service
Councils set up under the Chairmanship of Lord Cohen of Birkenhead to assess among other
things the results of past health education and, in the light of this assessment, tosuggestwhat
methods were likely to be most effective in future, reported in December, 1963. Among
the recommendations made was that the Government should appoint a strong central board
in England and Wales which would promote a climate of opinion generally favourable to
health education, develop "blanket" programme of educational and selected priority subjects
securing support from all possible national sources, commercial and voluntary as well as
medical and assist local authorities and their agenciesin theconductof programmes locally.
This body would clearlygo far to meeting thelarge scale needs of health education
and would leave it to the local authorities' staff to continue to support the subjects so
dealt with in the most effective way within their own boundaries and to themselves deal
with matters peculiar to their areas which lend themselves to local treatment. The report
states that such an organisation would support at local level, but that local agencies would
still continue to play a key role. This is particularly the case with the health visitor and
the public health inspector whose day-to-day duties include a very considerable amount of
health education on a number of subjects which go on, and are bound to continue to do so,
regardless of whatever subject may for the time being be given more intensive treatment,
whether on a nation-wide, or over any other wide area. This is undoubtedly the most effective
form which health education can take since the local authority officer is engaged in a
person to person relationship and generally is in a position to give some effective help to
the member of the public with whom he or she is in contact. The fact that help can be,
and is being, given makes for the acceptance of health education on other matters than the
immediate subject of the contract between officer and member of the public. However,
the Importance of the effect of mass media in this country today in persuading a large part
of the public to a course of action is being demonstrated continually.
It is relevant here to add (although he did so outside the year to which this report
relates) that the Minister of Health announced in Parliament that he accepted the conclusions
of the Cohen Committee and that the first priority is a new and stronger central organisation
and he therefore proposes to establish a new health education council with the functions
proposed in the report. Medical Officers of Health and all the staff of the departments
concerned with health education will find this most encouraging and are looking forward to
the developments in this important area of health endeavour which will follow the Minister's
decision.
WATER SUPPLY
The water supply in Kensington and Chelsea is almost entirely provided by the
Metropolitan Water Board, but there are four premises which obtain water, used for domestic
purposes, from artesian wells. Samples of water were taken both by the Council and the
owners for bacteriological and chemical examination and the results were in all cases satisfactory
.
FLUORIDATION OF WATER SUPPLIES
The matter of fluoridation of water was considered by both the former Kensington
and Chelsea Councils. The Chelsea Council gave their support to the scheme at their
meeting held on 30th January, 1963, and the Kensington Council also agreed to support
the policy at their meeting on 12th February, 1963.
Under the provisions of the London Government Act, 1963, the new Council
are empowered to implement the policies of the former Kensington and Chelsea Councils.
Fluoridation at a level of 1.0 part per million has been shown to be both harmless
to health and most suited for dental protection. Indeed, this concentration, or greater,
occurs naturally in many water supplies. Artificial fluoridation is intended to make generally
available the protection which is enjoyed in those areas where this obtains.