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INTRODUCTION
Throughout the year 1951, with which this report deals, Sir Allen Daley was
County Medical Officer. He retired some seven weeks later, on reaching the age
of 65 years, and it is fitting that the first words in this volume should refer to his
distinguished service to London and to the public health.
Allen Daley was appointed medical officer of health of the County Borough
of Bootle in 1911 and in due course held similar appointments at Blackburn and Hull,
where he served until October 1929. These years saw the consolidation of the environmental
health services and the growth of the personal health services, in particular
of those concerned with maternity and child welfare, school health, tuberculosis and
mental deficiency. From Hull, with a vast experience of all branches of public
health, he took up his duties as a principal medical officer in the Council's service.
In immediate charge of the general public health branch of the department, he also
played a leading part in the taking over of the hospital services of the former Guardians
of the Poor and of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. Appointed Deputy Medical
Officer of Health in due course, he succeeded Sir Frederick Menzies as County Medical
Officer at the end of 1939 and faced the many war-time problems of London's health
and hospital services with courage and distinction. The end of the war saw no respite.
The National Health Service Act of 1946 was to become operative in July, 1948.
The greatest municipal hospital service in the world, comprising nearly 100 hospitals
with many thousands of medical, nursing, technical and clerical staff was to be
transferred, not to one, but to four metropolitan regional hospital boards, and the
great personal health services of the metropolitan boroughs had, per contra, to be
absorbed. Both tasks were successfully completed with astonishing smoothness
and efficiency, and perhaps only those working close to Sir Allen (as he had become
in 1944) know how much of that success was due to his administrative flair, abounding
energy and tact. The years since 1948 have seen the consolidation of the health
service in London in its new form and already the new structure is firmly rooted.
In addition to the distinguished handling of these manifold burdens of a great
office, Sir Allen found time to play an active part in many spheres connected with
medicine and public health. The Rushcliffe Committee, the Central Midwives
Board, the Central ? Health Services Council and several of its standing
tees, the Royal College of Physicians, the Society of Medical Officers of Health,
the boards of governors of several teaching hospitals, the London Executive
Council and the London Local Medical Committee, amongst other bodies, have engaged
his active interest over many years, with consequent benefit to the Council's own
service.
Readily accessible to his staff, his luminous intellect, unflagging energies, unrivalled
experience and unfailing good humour, resolved the complexities of many a
knotty problem. Still full of energy and good health, he takes with him into a nominal
retirement, the good wishes not only of a department to which he has added fresh
lustre, but of a very wide circle of colleagues all over the world.
Two special contributions have been included this year—a sample survey on
family accommodation, carried out for the Council's architect in connection with the
development plan for the County (page 136), and one on the day time migration
of London as disclosed by the London Travel Survey of 1949 (page 132).
As usual brief reports by the divisional medical officers are included (pages 119
to 132).
There was a slight fall in the birth-rate, 15.6 compared with 15.7, but the rate
is still well above the pre-war level and the pace of the decline since the peak of
1947 is much slower than at first (page 6).
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