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It was particularly unfortunate that very naturally the passing over of the ' personal services '
to the London County Council gave rise to the impression that no duties of major importance remained
with the Public Health Department, and no doubt it was this quite erroneous impression that resulted
in the proposal to move the Public Health Department to a shop in Stoke Newington Church Street.
This proposal was raised at the first Public Health Committee I attended in June, 1948, when Dr.
King made his last attendance as Medical Officer of Health. Dr. King immediately opposed the
scheme as being obviously undesirable and subsequently a measure of the floor space showed
conclusively that there was not enough room for the office equipment in the premises.
A scheme presented later by a Sub-Committee of the Council to move the Public Health
Department to other rooms within the precincts of the Town Hall would also have seriously handicapped
the Department. The present accommodation leaves very much to be desired ; the projects
mentioned above would have made working conditions intolerable.
Nothing could be more erroneous than the impression that the 'personal services,' which admittedly
are more spectacular than routine public health administration, are as essential as the environmental
services. Day nurseries, for instance, are not essential, nor are most activities of the
'personal' administration, valuable though they obviously are. The environmental activities are
essential, dealing as they do with, for instance, housing, and in this instance I do not mean the
dwellings occupied by, say, 8 per cent. of the population living in municipal dwellings, which is a
mistake very frequently made nowadays when the subject of ' housing ' is mentioned, drainage,
food and food premises, factories, epidemic disease and the abatement of unhealthy conditions of so
many varieties affecting the health and well-being of all the population.
Difficulties arising from the altered form of administration were overcome in due course and the
very great kindness shown by so many of the Council particularly the Mayor (Councillor Reginald
Pestell), the Leader of the Council (Alderman C. R. Watts), the Chairman of the Establishment Committee
(Alderman A. Watson), and the Vice-Chairman of the Public Health Committee (Councillor
Mrs. Freedman), who spent far more time than could be reasonably expected in encouraging the
work of the Public Health Department, was particularly helpful in maintaining the morale of the
Department and is recorded with sincere appreciation. The fact that the Public Health Department
has earnestly continued with the work of overcoming the arrears which have accumulated to most
sanitary authorities as the result of the war years is undoubtedly due to this support.
The very kind assistance rendered by Dr. King since his relinquishment of his appointment with
the Borough Council was also of great value to the Public Health Department.
Dr. C. F. Stott was appointed deputy Medical Officer of Health on the temporary staff to deal
principally with cases arising under the National Assistance Act, 1948, and generally in emergency.
Dr. Stott has been most helpful and always available when his services were required.
I have to thank all the staff for the manner in which the work of the Department has been
carried out during the year. It has been a very trying time for everyone working in the Public Health
Department. Mr. Stedman, who at the time of writing has been promoted to the post of Administrative
Assistant, has a very heavy task to carry out and he has worked throughout unsparingly and
efficiently.
G. H. DART,
Medical Officer of Health.
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