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Health Department,
Town Hall,
Hornsey, N.8.
To the Worshipful the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report for the year
ending the 31st December, 1963.
With amalgamation of Hornsey, Tottenham and Wood Green to
form the new London Borough of Haringey, the environmental and
personal health services will once again be administratively reunited.
Dichotomy of the public health service between county and borough
imposed by the National Health Service Act; was finally condemned
twelve years later by the Royal Commission on Local Government in
Greater London.
Since Dr. Garrow's retirement in 1949 I have, at one and the
same time, served as medical officer of health in three separate and
distinct units of local government. And despite the kind consideration
in the Boroughs received from Council members and colleagues
I have had, as the only link between all three administrations, to
face mixed loyalties, policy frustrations and difficulties of communication
and co-operation with hospital and executive council services,
with mental health, education, welfare, children's, youth employment
and the many voluntary and national departments operating locally in
the two boroughs. Also attendance at so many essential evening
committees and functions; and to work day by day with three quite
separate office staffs has not always been easy to manipulate.
The population estimate during the past year was 98,190, an
increase of 470 over the previous year. The birth rate of 24.2
reached the highest level Hornsey has known this century. A disturbing
feature was a rise of 1.8% in illegitimate births to 13.6%
of the total births. The infant death rate was 22.8 per thousand
live births. No maternal death occurred during the year.
Housing in relation to health received high priority. In
particular the clearance of 80 unfit houses in the St. Mary's Road
area; further surveys undertaken in relation to houses in multiple
occupation and full investigations made into individual housing needs
of cases referred on medical grounds.
Progress was made under the Clean Air Act, the Smoke Control
Area No. 5 coming into operation on the 1st November, 1963 and
before the end of the year a further area declared.
Close supervision was maintained in matters of food hygiene,
distribution, storage and manufacturing processes. Particular
attention was paid to sampling and bacteriological examination of cooked
meats.