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9
of Health. He retired from the Council's service in September, 1932,
on attaining the age of 65 years.
In 1932 Dr. Scrase was succeeded by Dr. H, Leslie Oldershaw,
M. D. , M. R. C. S. ,D. P. H. , who had previously been Deputy Medical
Officer of Health for Coventry, Dr. Oldershaw joined the forces in
December, 1943 and from then until the end of the war Dr. Clark
Trotter acted in a temporary capacity. In 1948, when the personal
health services were transferred to the London County Council under
the National Health Service Act, Dr, Oldershaw was appointed by the
London County Council as Divisional Medical Officer whilst still
retaining the post of Medical Officer of Health for Hampstead, This
dual appointment ceased in 1950.
It had been agreed with the London County Council that following
the alteration in the responsibility for some of the health services
under the National Health Service Act, the Metropolitan Boroughs
should in appropriate cases employ a Medical Officer of Health jointly
for two or more boroughs. In 1950, in pursuance of this agreement,
Dr. Dennis Geffen, Q.B. E. ,M. D. ,D. P. H. , who was the Medical
Officer of Health for the Borough of St, Pancras, was appointed jointly
for the two Boroughs of Hampstead and St. Pancras.
Joint appointments of this kind present certain difficulties and
at the request of the Borough of St, Pancras the joint appointment was
terminated in 1956 and Dr. Geffen became again the full-time Medical
Officer of Health for St, Pancras. Dr. Dennis Geffen died in 1959.
In 1956 Dr. R. Duncan Dewar was appointed as Medical Officer
of Health for the Borough of Hampstead,
The first Report of Dr. Charles Lord in 185 7 deals with "the
monster defect in the Parish of Hampstead, viz,: the general want of
appropriate Sewers and Drains", the need for the abolition of cesspools
and the provision of an uncontaminated water supply, the evil of
"crowding" where "houses originally built for one family have become
over-tenanted being sub-let in rooms" and the need for proper heating,
lighting and ventilation.
There can be no doubt that parts of Hampstead were at that
time far from being ideal places in which to live and equally no doubt