View report page

2
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1940.
for purposes of comparison, in view of the difficulties in arriving
at a correct estimate of the population under present conditions.
All the health services provided by the Council have been
in operation throughout the year, although in some respects
there has not been the same demand for them as in peace time.
There has, for instance, been a reduction in the number of complaints
received from householders and most of the work under
the Housing Acts has ceased. As a result of evacuation there
are fewer mothers and children resident in the Borough and this
has lessened the demand on the Maternity and Child Welfare
Services.
For these reasons there has been some falling off in the peace
time routine activities of the Sanitary Inspectors and Health
Visitors, but additional duties have been thrown on these officers
in connection with the war effort, and during the enemy activity
in the autumn they were hard put to it to carry out these extra
duties. At that time the Sanitary Inspectors were called upon to
assist in finding houses for the homeless and in making rapid
surveys of houses damaged by bombs. Their services were also
required for the inspection of air raid shelters. The Health
Visitors visited many homes in connection with the evacuation
scheme and to find billets for refugees. They also visited rest
centres and several of them were on duty with the Mobile Units
when these were despatched to Air raid incidents.
As the Health Department is responsible for the organisation
and control of certain sections of the Civil Defence Scheme it is
inevitable that many members of the staff should have been
called upon to shoulder additional duties and responsibilities,
often involving considerable periods of overtime. The whole
of the staff have given me their full co-operation throughout
the year and have carried out the many additional duties which
they have been asked to perform in a manner which has been a
credit to all concerned.
I am, Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
F. G. CALEY,
Medical Officer of Health,