View report page

2
and the priority offer by housing authorities of housing accommodation to enable
the tuberculous patient to have a bedroom of his own and to give more space to
other members of the family.
Increasing attention is being given to the supervision of restaurant and eating
establishments, and to the hygiene of food preparation. Food poisoning outbreaks
continue to occur although, fortunately, food infections have so far been of a
relatively mild nature. Here there is much which the public themselves can do by
insisting upon obvious cleanliness, whether of food service or of premises, in
restaurants and canteens, and where the staffs themselves, by giving greater
consideration to their personal cleanliness, may materially assist in reducing the
risks inherent in large scale catering when so much more of the public is taking
meals out than before the War.
The provision of new housing and the reasonable maintenance of existing
housing continues to present problems of great difficulty. The greater part of
Islington housing was constructed 75 years or more ago, and, apart from obviously
being out-of-date in many respects by modern standards, requires an increasing
amount of maintenance with ever increasing expenditure. The extent of the
supervision necessary has thrown a heavy burden upon the Public Health Department,
and from the section of the report dealing with this, it will be noted that there was
a very substantial increase over the previous year in the number of inspections made
by the District Sanitary Inspectors under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
The difficulties in securing the abatement of nuisances were also considerable as
evidenced by the long list of prosecutions under this Act. The population of
Islington is only some 50,000 less than pre-war, and, with the smaller number of
premises available (owing to war damage) in spite of increases in new housing, it is
obvious that not only must there be more overcrowding, but there is also greater
wear and tear upon property which is ageing all the time. It may well be, therefore,
that in a Borough such as Islington the continued maintenance of old houses in
a proper sanitary condition will become an increasingly intolerable financial burden,
particularly upon small owners, and will create serious problems which will have
to be faced.
The year 1948 was a particularly difficult one for the staff of the Department,
on the one hand owing to the great increase of work arising from sanitary complaints,
and, on the other, arising out of the transfer of some of the Council's services to
the Local Health Authority. The Council naturally regret losing officers who have
given many years' faithful service to work which has now become the responsibility
of the Local Health Authority, but it is satisfactory to know that their experience
will be of value and that they will continue their work for the service of the public
under the new Authority. I am therefore particularly appreciative of the successful
efforts made by all members of the staff under these circumstances, especially
Dr. Elsie J. Madeley, Senior Maternity & Child Welfare Officer, and Mr. W. C. Bartlett
and Mr. B. J. Ashcroft, Senior and Deputy Senior Sanitary Inspector respectively.
I also desire to express my appreciation of the consideration given to the
Department and the staff by the Public Health and Maternity & Child Welfare
Committees and their respective Chairmen, namely, Alderman H. J. L. Lygoe, J.P.,
M.S.S., and Councillor Mrs. F. H. Cantwell, J.P.
V. FREEMAN,
Medical Officer of Health.