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though not officially notifiable, is revealed by the number of cases removed
to hospital. There were 54 cases and 3 deaths; in 1948 35 cases and
14 deaths. The improvement may be due to new methods of treatment
in combating this very serious infection among infants.
This is the first complete year since the various personal health services
were transferred to the London County Council and to the Regional
Hospital Board. In the report for 1948 these services were recorded for
the first six months of that year up to 5th July, 1948, when the City
Council ceased all responsibility for them.
In the preface to my report of last year an assessment was made of
the effects of the changes created by the operation of the National Health
Service Act by which such services as maternity and child welfare, day
nurseries, tuberculosis (dispensary, home visiting and after care) home
help service and care of foster children, had been transferred to the London
County Council. The centralisation of what are essentially local services
may have certain advantages in some areas of the country. It would be
difficult to discern any advantages in Westminster so far. That the
transferred service has been working smoothly is in large measure due
to the co-operative attitude of the Officers of the London County Council,
those transferred to the London County Council from the staff of the
City Council in 1948 and to the assistance given by Mr. W. D. Sambrook,
the Chief Clerk of the Public Health Department of the City Council,
whose wide knowledge and experience have been much appreciated by
the Divisional Staff of the London County Council.
In housing the Council may justly be proud of its efi'ort to provide
homes for those to quote the official phrase inadequately housed."
The great new Pimlico scheme of 1,621 fiats is now being developed.
Some 59 flats are already occupied. The whole scheme when completed
will be an outstanding architectural feature of London. The main
blocks, of 9 storeys at right angles to the river, will provide a dignified
and handsome aspect to this region of the riverside. The cost of buildings
in this post-war era, together with land is vastly greater than that of the
Council's pre-war estates and to this must be added the cost of the
amenities, constant hot water supplies, central heating, space for
refrigerators and lifts, etc. It should be noted that whereas under the
pre-war Housing Acts, local authorities were empowered to provide
housing accommodation for the working classes at rents prevailing in the
district for similar accommodation, under the Housing Act, 1949, the
term "working classes" has been eliminated. Provision has now to be
made for those without homes of their own or otherwise inadequately
housed.
In the early part of this year the Council completed the Russell
House scheme of 74 flats. It is situate on what was a bombed site
between Cambridge and Alderney Streets and is a well-planned and
imposing building of nine storeys supplied with all the amenities provided
for the Pimlico-Scheme, At present the hot water supply and space
heating are derived from a central boiler for the whole block. Later
the boiler may be dispensed with and the system linked up with the
district heating of the Pimlico Scheme. By this latter scheme, the first