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3
One of the principal health problems that has of late become much
more pressing has been that of preserving the health of the ageing
members of the population and caring for their needs. In this work
your council has for some years now been in the forefront of the
authorities throughout the country who have initiated services with
these aims, and its foresight and sympathy has been very widely
recognized in this country and beyond. In particular the inauguration
of sheltered employment for the elderly has not only been
applauded but has already been copied in several other places. Nevertheless
proud as we are of these services, much remains to be done for
the increasing number and proportion of older persons in the community.
Environmental conditions have improved out of all proportion in
recent years. The progressive policy of the council in regard to
Housing has alleviated many of the cases of greater hardship and of
overcrowding and many of the former slum houses have disappeared including
in 1954 the remaining properties of Bastwick Street which for
over 50 years had been represented by successive Medical Officers of
Health as unfit.
The conditions of many other properties which deteriorated
greatly during the war were considerably improved.
Much advance has been made in the clean handling of food and the
purity of that sold.
Although we may well be proud of these improvements yet many
further problems lie ahead, The need for the replacement of many
older houses and quasi slums by houses or flats up to modern standards
is too obvious to require stress.
Atmospheric pollution of all kinds is a continued cause of much
ill-health. The development of a better social conscience with regard
to litter in the streets and backyards is needed not only psychologically
to improve appearances but also to further a policy of
general cleanliness.
It is clear that health measures ought not to be abated but
rather pressed forward,
Many administrative changes in the Health Services occurred in
1948 on the coming into force of the National Health Service Act 1946,
and a number of services were transferred to the Hospital Board or the