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HEALTH EDUCATION
Mr. R. W. Allen, M.A.P.H.I., Health Education Officer
As it becomes better known the Health Education section becomes busier each
year. With the passing years it also gains in experience and 1971 saw more effective
health and home-safety education. The work of the section can briefly be described
as follows: —
1. The propagation, by all appropriate means, of health and home-safety
information.
2. Providing information on behalf of the Health Department.
3. Arranging in-service talks and demonstrations on topical health and safety
matters.
4. Involvement in schools, especially in courses dealing with sex education and
responsibility. This work has grown partly because of the raising of the
school leaving age.
5. Collection, preparation and collation of material for lectures and articles.
6. Production and distribution of a quarterly twenty-four page booklet (circulation
7,500).
Much information is given to students from colleges, both in and out of the
Borough, to assist them with "projects" on health and home-safety. Many of those
seeking information are student teachers who, in time, will be "health educators".
The home safety officers continue to give advice on hazards in the home, e.g.
the proper use and care of heating appliances, often when instances of misuse are
referred to them by health visitors and social workers.
Classes in first-aid and resuscitation continued throughout the year and well over
3,000 schoolchildren were taught the "kiss of life" before the summer holidays.
Co-operation with the Library Service helps to provide text books for staff and
reprints from journals not circulated by the section. In this respect the section makes
much use of LOGA, The Local Government Annotations Service.
The anti-smoking groups have continued throughout the year. The feeling of
"all being in the same boat" and being able to help each other has helped to make
these groups popular. The average success rate appears to be about 50% with
varying degrees of reduction among the remainder at the end of the course. Followup
meetings are arranged, as there is a tendency to relapse, proving yet again the
dictum "better never to have started".
A new development this year was running stalls at three summer fetes. The
display dealt with health and home-safety matters including demonstrations of the
"kiss of life" method of resuscitation. During the school holidays talks and demonstrations
were given at summer play groups.
A Health Exhibition was staged for the opening of the new Jenner Health Centre,
and the Section assisted the Dental Officer in a Dental Week.
Again it must be emphasised that the most important function of the section is
the helping of doctors, dentists, health visitors, nurses, public health inspectors and
others to be health educators.
The Council sponsored a new voluntary body concerned with health education.
The inaugural meeting in April was addressed by the Rt. Hon. Baroness Birk, J.P.,
Chairman of the Health Education Council, and the new group became known as
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