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In the meantime it is abundantly obvious that out-of-date housing must continue
to be a principal means of accommodation for Islington residents for many years to
come. Sanitary complaints, with such old and congested properties must unavoidably
arise frequently, and small owners in particular must find themselves in an
increasingly difficult position to carry the financial burden, heavy in many cases,
of proper housing maintenance.
Sanitary complaints continue to be received and dealt with by the Public Health
Department at an average rate of approximately 1,000 a month, and the number
of prosecutions under the Public Health (London) Act for failure to comply with
Statutory Nuisance Notices, and also the failure to comply with Magistrates'
Abatement Orders in a substantial number of instances, is further evidence of the
difficulty of the housing and sanitary situation in this Borough. Demolition Orders
were made in respect of eleven houses during the year as being unfit and not
repairable at reasonable cost. Closing Orders were also made in respect of fifteen
underground rooms.
A major hygiene problem was tackled during the year in conjunction with the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and excellent results were obtained
in dealing with a major source of blowfly infestation. A good start was also made in
the more systematic treatment of old bug-infested housing. Neither of these attacks
on insects, which are harmful and may even be dangerous to human beings, could
have been contemplated a few years ago before the new insecticides became
available.
The education of the public in health matters has continued as previously, with
the addition of the hiring of a major feature film to be shown immediately following
the exhibition of health films. Excellent attendances have been attained, rather
contrary to the usual experience when health films alone are the attraction.
The problems of old persons continue to receive consideration, and the
" Meals-on-Wheels " Service, operated by the W.V.S., with the assistance of a
Council grant for providing hot mid-day meals for elderly home-bound persons
commenced to function during the year. Apart from the benefit of the meal, the
scheme is also useful incidentally in that it is a means by which it is possible to keep
in touch with old people so that they may be better advised and assisted in other
ways. The provision of extra nourishment to old people is essentially a preventive
service which should, if fully implemented, assist in maintaining their health.
Although approximately three and a half thousand meals were delivered during the
year, the Service must still be regarded to some extent as experimental. It is to be
hoped that further expansion will be possible, but this depends to a considerable
extent on a sufficiency of voluntary help forthcoming to assist in the transport of
meals.
On the administrative side, considerable assistance was afforded to me in the
latter part of the year, particularly in regard to health publicity and matters affecting
the welfare of elderly persons, by the Council's appointment of Dr. Amelia Muriel
Ison, as part-time Deputy Medical Officer of Health. As Dr. Ison is otherwise a