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7
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies, and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report for 1948 of
the work of the Public Health Department. This report is prepared
along the lines of recent years in an abbreviated form in accordance
with instructions given by the Ministry of Health.
The year was chiefly eventful for the coming into operation
of a number of enactments which changed the whole structure of
social legislation on the 5th July. Of particular importance in this
connection was the National Health Service Act, 1946, but it is too
early to present any report on the effect of the changes on the Health
and Welfare of the people of Finsbury. From the appointed day
the Personal Health Services including all the maternity and child
welfare provisions were transferred to the London County Council
and the Specialist Clinic Services to the North East Metropolitan
Regional Hospital Board, though these latter have to some extent
remained under the control of the Borough Council on an agency
basis. Many regrets were felt at the loss by your Council of so
many of those branches of Public Health work which you, over a
period of years, had done so much to initiate, encourage and raise
to a high level of efficiency. Consequent upon these transfers
a number of very highly respected staff, who, in some cases had
given many years of loyal and devoted service, passed over into
the employment of other authorities.
The Health Centre has remained, for the time being, the property
of the Finsbury Borough Council who still use more of it than any
other authority.
I am glad to be able to report that the general health of the
community has remained good and that there was no serious outbreak
of any infectious disease.
In considering the vital statistics it should be remembered that
the information available as to the population figures, and particularly
the age distribution of the population, is not known with any
certainty. This is not likely to be remedied until the results of the
1951 census become available.