View report page

London County Council
INTERIM REPORT OF THE
COUNTY MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
AND SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER
FOR THE YEAR 1940
By W. Allen Daley, M.D., F.R.C.P., County Medical Officer of Health and
School Medical Officer.
INTRODUCTION
Staff shortage and preoccupation with more urgent matters result in the
annual report for 1940 being, like its predecessor, very attenuated. An attempt has,
however, been made to indicate in these pages that, despite the difficulties of the
times, the health of London has not been unsatisfactory and that the vast and
complex organisation, known as the Public Health Department, has continued
without intermission, not only to provide care and attention for the sick of London
who apply for treatment at its hospitals, but also to carry on all its other activities
for the prevention of illness and the preservation of health.
This has been possible only because of the devotion to duty of the staff of the
department. Brief accounts have been published in the London Gazette of the
bravery of those of the staff who have received awards for gallantry. They were:
Mr. Albert Dolphin, porter, South-Eastern Hospital, awarded (posthumously) the
George Cross ; Dr. F. D. Murphy, acting medical superintendent of Fulham Hospital,
who was appointed to be an Officer of the Order of the British Empire; Miss Mary
Fleming, staff nurse, Miss Ruby E. M. Rosser, staff nurse, and Miss Aileen Turner,
senior assistant nurse, all of Grove Park Hospital; Mr. George Goshawk, auxiliary
ambulance attendant, and Mr. Bertram Matthewman, auxiliary ambulance driver,
each awarded the George Medal; Miss Valentine Howell, assistant nurse, class I,
Colindale Hospital, Mr. Philip Davey, Miss Betty Leverton and Mrs. Mabel Ann
Armitage, auxiliary ambulance attendants, and Miss Ruby Gwendoline Sandford,
Mr. Joseph Slipman and Mr. George Frederick William Tindall, auxiliary ambulance
drivers, awarded the British Empire Medal; Miss Isabella Russell, matron,
St. Matthew's Hospital, Miss Elizabeth Scully, probationer nurse, St. Giles' Hospital,
and Miss Helen Annie Mason, auxiliary ambulance driver, who each received a
commendation.
The full story cannot be told, until peace is once more with us, of how every
man and woman in the service has responded to every call and, by grim determination,
when facing imminent and constant danger, has ensured that the vital health services,
of this great community shall not fail. Very many of the Council's hospitals were
hit during air raids by the enemy, and, unfortunately, 21 members of the hospitals'
staffs were killed and 44 injured. In addition, 10 members of the auxiliary ambulance
personnel were killed and a considerable number injured.
The department sustained a heavy loss by the death, in February, 1940, of
Miss D. E. Bannon, C.B.E., its first Matron-in-Chief. As from 1st May, 1940, the
duties of the office were entrusted to Miss R. Dreyer, formerly a principal matron,
with the title of Principal Matron-in-Charge. On 19th November, 1940, Dr. Andrew
Topping, senior medical officer, was appointed Deputy Medical Officer of Health.
Retirements during the year included Dr. W. B. Knobel, Senior Medical Officer,
and Captain A. E. Reed, Officer-in-Charge of the London Ambulance Service.
400 (McO. 42088) 16-12-11 1616 (1)