View report page

To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the London Borough of Islington
INTRODUCTION
The year 1967 continued the consolidation of the Borough's health services which were
described in my reports for the two previous years. The effects of the national Prices and
Incomes Standstill were still felt, but progress was none the less made in many directions,
as is shown elsewhere in this report.
In November, Dr. Victor Freeman, Associate Medical Officer of Health, retired after
a distinguished career in the local government health service, including 24 years as
Medical Officer of Health for the Metropolitan Borough of Islington. Many tributes were
paid to him, both by the Council and its Committees, and in the Press. I refer to him in
fuller detail later in the report.
The year closed with tragedy. Miss Kathleen Mary Hilder, a district nurse, died as
the result of a road accident whilst on duty, when her moped was in a street collision.
...iss Hilder had been employed by the former North London District Nursing Association
since 1963 and was transferred to the London Borough of Islington on the 1st April, 1965.
Tributes were paid to her by the Personal Health and Establishment Committees.
Once more, I would particularly mention the co-operation at all levels between those
connected in any way with the Department's functions. I would also express deep appreciation
of the guidance and support given by Members of the Council and its Committees.
The Annual Report serves as a reminder of the wide range of services provided by the
Department for the health of members of the public, covering the whole span of their
lives. Before birth, care is given to mothers at ante-natal clinics. Domiciliary midwives
attend at births and undertake the subsequent nursing of the mother and new-born c-hild.
Advice on each child's health and dental progress is given at child welfare clinics until
the age of five, and then through the school health service, till school leaving. Protection
against infectious diseases is offered by planned programmes of vaccination and immunisation
during pre-school and school life. For certain age groups and specified diseases, protection
may be given to adults, and there is a detailed procedure for investigating notifiable
diseases and taking active measures to prevent their spread. The Department co-operates
with the Hospital Clinics in the care and after-care of tuberculous persons, and in the
follow-up and contact tracing of venereal disease. Visits are paid and services provided
in the homes of persons as required, by health visitors, domiciliary midwives, district
nurses, home helps, old people's visitors, public health inspectors, rodent staff and
other special workers. Adults in priority groups are given treatment in dental and foot
clinics. Families are relieved of their pressures by providing day nurseries for children
under five, and by co-ordinated assistance to problem families, as well as by family
planning advice where this is requested on medical grounds. The Department exercises a
wide range of duties in regard to housing with a view to preventing or removing nuisances,
remedying abuses and clearing unfit property. It also controls by inspection, licensing
and other statutory measures those trading activities which may directly or indirectly
affect the health of the Community. This extends to the many aspects of the sale and
distribution of food. A further wide field of community care is offered by the mental
health service, which beginning with severely subnormal babies and working in close
liaison with the ascertainment of subnormality by the school health service, is able to
offer advice to parents, training at centres and residential care through life where
necessary. The mentally ill receive similar services in consultation with psychiatric
hospitals, with the object wherever possible of offering them support in their homes and
helping them to live their own lives in the community. The services which the Department
can give go on till the end of life. Many of them apply specially to old persons, e.g.
home help, district nursing, special visiting, and the meals on wheels service. Advisory
health circles for elderly people are held at various centres. Parallel with all the
services, health education is given in all aspects of personal and environmental health
1