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3
Public Health Department,
98a, Avenue Road,
Hampstead, N.W.3.
2nd May, 1960.
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF HAMPSTEAD.
Mr, Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report on
the Health of the Borough during 1959.
The law requires that the Medical Officer of Health
shall make a report each year and that it must contain a
certain minimum of information. The report contains a summary
of some of the records and statistics and these are usually
presented in a form which allows of easy comparison with previous
years and with other local authority areas. The writing of the
report does, however, present a particular opportunity for a
critical assessment of the aims and purposes of the Public Health
Department and the success or otherwise of the year's achievements.
By tradition the Medical Officer of Health is permitted
not only to record the facts but to make observations, criticisms
and suggestions which may not necessarily agree with the views
of his Council. It is usual to express comments of this kind in
the introductory letter rather than in the body of the report but
there are certain difficulties in a restriction of this nature.
To be of the maximum use to Members of the Council,
the report should be made at the earliest possible date but certain
information, for example from the Registrar General, Is not
available for some months after the end of the year. It is
therefore convenient to prepare the report in sections and in
addition it is probably more helpful to the Members of the Council
for any comments to be included with other information on the
particular service, and this has therefore been done and It Is
hoped that the Members will find the comments of some use.