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64
National Fire Prevention Week
In place of the London County Council's annual Home Safety Week, arrangements were
made by the Fire Protection Association and the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents for a National Fire Prevention Week to be held from 30th October to 4th November.
The Public Health Department co-operated in this campaign by arranging for the display
of posters throughout the borough and distribution of leaflets and bookmarks from its own
offices and other departments of the Council, and a specially prepared display stand supplied
by the London Fire Brigade was placed in the entrance hall of the Town Hall.
Lectures and Talks
During the year the Medical Officer of Health gave a lecture on "Environment and Health"
to the North London Association of Ophthalmic Opticiams, and also addressed a meeting of
the Rotary Club of Islington on the subject of home safety; the Deputy Medical Officer of
Health gave a series of lectures to a girls' youth club, addressed a special meeting of
St. John Ambulance Brigade, and also gave talks to various old persons' and adult clubs, all
on home safety.
Conferences and Courses
The Congress of The Royal Society of Health, in April, was attended by Councillor Hyde
and the Medical Officer of Health. The Chairman of the Public Health Committee, with the
Chief Public Health Inspector, attended the Association of Public Health Inspectors' Annual
Conference in September; and Councillor Ross and the Medical Officer of Health represented
the Council at the London and Home Counties Clean Air Advisory Council.
Members of the Public Health Department staff attended the following courses:—
Week-end School
(Association of Public Health Inspectors)
Rodent Control (One day) Refresher Courses
(Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food)
Refresher Course in Meat Inspection
(College for the Distributive Trades)
General
Regular publicity by means of leaflets and posters, changed according to season and
???picality, together with the distribution of 1,000 copies per month of "Better Health"
mainly through the Islington Public Libraries, and the provision of "Family Doctor" for
reading, continued throughout the year.
The outbreak of diphtheria in February, referred to on page 21, received considerable
attention in the national press, as well as locally, and it became necessary to issue information
regularly to the newspapers until the outbreak had subsided.
SERVICES FOR ELDERLY PERSONS
All those engaged in the health and welfare services for elderly persons, whether officers
of the County or Borough Council, or voluntary workers, have found much to occupy them during
the year.
In the voluntary sphere, acknowledgements are due to the sustained interest and efforts
of Miss D.E. Church, Honorary Secretary, and the Islington Old People's Welfare Council, and
to Mrs. E. MacGregor, M. B E., the Centre Organiser, and members of the Women's Voluntary
Service.
The visiting of elderly persons carried out by the Public Health Department has again
been a useful means of keeping in touch with many lonely old folk and arranging for various
services and amenities to be provided for them where necessary. The Old Persons' Register
maintained in the Department now contains some 3,000 names out of a total of 30,000 of
pensionable age in the Borough.
Two Public Health Inspectors
Six Rodent Operators
Three Public Health Inspectors