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Tele: HAMpstead 7171 Public Health Department,
98a, Avenue Road,
Hampstead , N .W .3 .
2nd May, 1959.
TO THE MAYOR, AIDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OP HAMPSTEAD.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report on the
health of the Borough during 1958.
The health of the population remained satisfactory in
spite of the poor weather which was experienced throughout the
whole of the summer months.
The outstanding public health measure of the year was
the great national effort to immunise children against poliomyelitis
and it is pleasing to record that there were only two
cases of poliomyelitis in the Borough during 1958 as compared
with 15 in the previous year. It is, of course, quite uncertain
how much of this reduction was due to immunisation, particularly
when it is remembered that six of the cases in 1957 were adults.
Following the report of the Organisation and Methods
Committee on the work of the Public Health Department the Council
created several specialist posts for public health inspectors.
One of these was the post of Food Inspector and Mr. W. F. Newport
was appointed. I would like to pay a tribute to the very thorough
and conscientious manner in which he has endeavoured to improve
the food hygiene standards of the Borough.
The report which follows sets out some information and
figures concerning this aspect of the work of the Public Health
Department but the figures themselves cannot adequately represent
the hours of patient work spent in helping and advising those
concerned with food supplies in the Borough. During recent years
great advances have been made in refrigeration equipment but it
must be used intelligently and not all the smaller traders are
able to provide this expensive apparatus. In some cases it is
necessary for traders to provide better equipment and to improve
the premises but much of this is not enforceable and must be done