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INTRODUCTION
During the whole period covered by this report Dr. J. A. Scott was County Medical
Officer of Health and Principal School Medical Officer. As, however, he retired on
8 August 1964, before the publication of this volume, it is fitting that the report should
commence with a record of his distinguished services.
Dr. Scott entered the public health service in 1927 and following two appointments in
Yorkshire as medical officer of health he came to London in 1935 and was medical officer
of health of the metropolitan borough of Fulham for ten years. During this time he
received the O.B.E. for his services to Civil Defence.
In 1945 Dr. Scott joined the Council's service for duties in preparation for the assumption
by the Council of its responsibilities consequent on the passing of the National Health
Service Act, 1946. As head of the central planning division his wide experience of public
health work coupled with his great enthusiasm and energy were directed towards welding
together the diverse practices of 28 authorities, the formulation of plans for their development
and their integration with services already administered by the Council. He was
promoted deputy medical officer of health and principal school medical officer in 1948
and became medical officer of health and principal school medical officer on the retirement
of Sir Allen Daley in 1952.
The pattern and scope, as well as the volume, of the Council's health services have
developed greatly over the past 16 years and their present efficiency and high reputation owe
a great deal to Dr. Scott's drive and unflagging energy. Notable amongst developments
which have taken place while he has been the head of the department and for which much
is due to him personally have been the provision and co-ordination of services aimed at
preventing the break-up of families, mental health education in the maternity and child
welfare services, the provision of a greatly enlarged and diversified prophylaxis service and
the rapidly growing and changing services resulting from the Mental Health Act, 1959.
Dr. Scott has participated in the work of many outside bodies. He is a member of the
Central Midwives Board and has represented the Ministry of Health and the Council on
a number of important committees. A member of the Council of the Royal Society of Health
since 1945, he was its chairman in 1957-58. Two of his great interests have been medical
education and the promotion of close liaison between voluntary and statutory bodies;
he has served on many organisations with these aims in mind. Mention must be made of his
chairmanship of a sub-committee of the Standing Mental Health Advisory Committee of
the Central Health Services Council, which published in July, 1962 a report on the training
of staff of training centres for the mentally sub-normal (the 'Scott' report) and of his membership
of the Royal College of Physicians committee which reported on smoking and lung
cancer.
Dr. Scott's distinguished service for public health has been nationally recognised by his
choice as the recipient of the Smith Award, 1964, granted every third year by the Royal
Institute of Public Health and Hygiene. It is a fitting commendation of a medical officer
of health whose work has shown the importance of combining efficiency in operating
existing services with the need to plan ahead and to seek improvement by experiment.
Dr. Scott's zest for hard work and his ready and handsome appreciation of their efforts
have been a constant inspiration to his staff, on whom his genial and warmhearted personality
has made a deep impression. They will remember him for his extraordinarily detailed
knowledge of their day-to-day work and, above all, for the quality of his leadership.
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