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To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the London Borough of Islington
INTRODUCTION
In my previous reports, I was able to summarise the steps taken to plan the new Borough
Public Health Department in 1965, and to describe measures to consolidate it in the following
two years. In 1968, the subject of this my fourth annual report, a number of important
outside factors operated during the year. The Municipal Elections resulted in an almost
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complete change of membership in the Committees to which the Department is responsible. This
led to a re-examination of the policy issues involved. There was, however, no hold-up on
essential developments, and that this was due in a large measure to the understanding and
initiative of the new Chairmen of the Committees. Indeed, after an inevitable but short
transitional period, the progress and growth of the Borough's Health Service continued
unabated, as will be seen from the pages of this report.
Two factors influenced the Department's activities in the field of housing. The new
Committee's policy of reviewing all housing development areas and concentrating on improvement
increased the Department's commitments. Concurrently the Government White Paper "Old Houses
into New Homes", while dependent for its long-term effect on future legislation and on the
Council's policy decisions, called for an assessment of probable lines of action and of an
overall strategy for the improvement of older houses.
Among other Government decisions, there were two which particularly affected the
Department. The inter-Departmental joint circular on the Urban Programme offered financial
assistance to certain local authorities with special needs on social and environmental
grounds. Islington was one of these, and application was made and granted towards the cost
of two day nurseries, the completion of which will thus be expedited in the Borough's FiveYear
Capital Programme. The Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968, tightened up the
law regulating child-minding by persons in their homes and in private nurseries. The changes
were based on representations made by many local health authorities, including Islington.
They are referred to in greater detail later in the report, and the general result is that
the number of persons to be registered, and the requirements to be imposed in each case,
have greatly increased.
A notable step forward in the care of old people was the extension of the Meals-on-Wheels
Service to provide week-end meals. Parallel with this has been a consistent growth of weekday
meals services, with an improved organisation, which reflects the interest of all the staff
responsible. A measure of the personal attention shown to old people was provided by a driver
(Mr. W. Wood) and a helper (Mrs. Duncan) who were unable to get a reply when delivering a
meal, and by forcing their way into a room were able to pull an old man away from the fire,
into which he had collapsed. They received an official Commendation for the action.
The Department's Development Programme of Capital Expenditure was kept under constant
review, in consultation with the Borough Architect and other chief officers. Set in motion
in 1965, it has called for patient planning and application. At the end of 1968, it was
taking definite shape, so that (subject to the necessary financial sanction) the Borough
will have a dozen new establishments by 1972, as a first instalment of the Five-Year Programme.
Details are set out later in the report. The Smoke Control Programme was expedited with the
objective of completing the whole area of the Borough by 1970. Advantage was taken of the
offer of the Civil Defence Centre in Isledon Road, N.7., which with minimum adaptations
will provide an industrial centre for mentally subnormal adults and will allow the fuller
development of the training facilities for all the mentally subnormal persons in community
care, including a new special care unit for severely afflicted young persons in the Camden
Road Congregational Church Hall, N.7. For the mentally ill, a part-time day centre for
disturbed old persons was provided in co-operation with the Salvation Army at the Archway
Citadel, N.19. It was also possible to supplement the Council's day nursery accommodation
by an agreement with the National Children's Home to take 20 places at the newly adapted
nursery in Legard Road, N. 7.
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