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3
Housing
Housing has continued to be a major problem in the Borough, and no doubt this will be
the position for many years to come. Greater attention is being given to bringing older type
houses into some measure of conformity with modern standards and the provision of amenities
which should reasonably be expected at the present time. The Report gives figures of the
considerable number of new houses and flats which were erected in the Borough during the year
through the respective agencies of the Borough Council, the London County Council and private
enterprise and, as detailed in the Report, the local authority housing which now exists in
the Borough is very considerable. Nevertheless, the greater part of the population of Islington
must still continue to occupy older-type houses and therefore the problems of improvement and
modernisation are very important.
Food
Hygieni
The Report includes an account of two food poisoning outbreaks, neither, fortunately, on a
very large scale but nevertheless examples of what should be prevented. New Regulations
concerned with food hygiene came into force during the year and these Regulations amplified
earlier controls. Codes of Practice dealing with hygiene in the fish trade were also issued by
the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Pood and, whilst the
greatest measure of local trade publicity to these Codes of Practice was sought through their
being personally distributed by the Public Health Inspectors to all fish businesses, it is
presumed that such Codes may be a forerunner of further food hygiene regulations if found
necessary.
New aspects of food hygiene risks come to light and it is thought that an account of some
interest is included in the Report in the mention of bacterial contamination of desiccated
coconut products which may give rise to food poisoning, and which was not previously considered
as being a possible food poisoning risk.
Whilst the vast majority of food traders in the Borough provide conditions of a good or
reasonable standard with no cause for statutory action, the Report does include a summary of
a number of cases where offences occurred under the Pood and Drugs Act and the Pood Hygiene
Regulations and legal proceedings had to be taken by the Council.
Elderly
Persons
The services for elderly persons which the Borough is able to render through current
legislation continued to provide substantial help during the year as detailed in the body of
the Report. The Department" s arrangement for the treatment of soiled laundry was extended, and
the arrangements for the cleansing of many elderly persons either in the home or in the
Treatment Centre under qualified supervision by the Department* s staff, has continued to providi
a most useful service of considerable assistance in helping many elderly persons to maintain
their self-respect as well as improving their physical condition The ambulance which the
Council purchased particularly for the transport of elderly persons in this connection has
proved a very sound investment. Perhaps the usefulness of the Department" s work in connection
with the elderly can best be seen from the details given in the Report of just a few cases
illustrating the problems met with and the manner in which they were dealt with
Staff and
General
It is becoming a regular feature of these reports that I have to mention the serious
deficiency in the number of Public Health Inspectors on the establishment. This situation,
unfortunately, continued during 1960 and there appears to be little possibility of worth-while
improvements in the near future. The effect, of course, is to render it impossible to carry
out as many inspections of houses, shops, food examinations, etc. as are considered desirable
and delays in carrying out visits or responding to requests from the public inevitably arise
and are very greatly regretted Nevertheless the Report records a very considerable amount of
work done by the existing Inspectors, working frequently under circumstances which require the
exercise of considerable tact.