View report page

4 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1939.
which arose. It was inevitable, until the new services became
organised on a proper basis, that for a short period there was
some interruption in the ordinary peace-time duties of the officers
concerned. Much of this, however, was offset by the effects of
the outbreak of war on the routine health services of the Borough.
The calls for the services of the Sanitary Inspectors fell away
at once, as there was an immediate and material reduction in
the number of complaints received from householders and much
of the work in connection with housing ceased at once. Owing
to evacuation and the closure of the schools the services of the
Health Visitors were required less frequently for home visiting
and for attending clinics.
Although these adjustments were made, due to the circumstances
mentioned, all the routine Health Services of the Department
were in operation throughout the year, in spite of the war,
and everything that had to be done was done.
The Civil Defence duties for which the Health Department
became responsible on the outbreak of war up to the end of 1939
were as follows:—
1. The continuation of the individual training of all
persons who had enrolled for service in any of the Civil Defence
Services administered by the Borough Council. The Department
had been responsible for the training of all personnel
since early in 1938, but many untrained members requiring
training were enrolled on mobilisation.
2. The formation and detailed organisation of five
Stretcher Party Stations, having an establishment of 1,130
men and arranging for the individual and team training of
the men as they were engaged.
3. The formation and detailed organisation of eight
First Aid Posts and five Mobile Units and training the
personnel of over 300 persons.
4. The detailed arrangements for controlling the First
Aid Services and the collection and transport of the dead
during air raids for which I am responsible For this purpose
a duty rota consisting of either myself or one of the other