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6
It has been said that the health of a nation is the history of that nation. Health education can
lead to social reform and in raising the standard of health it enhances national prosperity. Active
health education is not the responsibility solely of the public health service, but should be shared
by the health and social services, churches, schools, youth and other organisations. The national
and local press can be of tremendous help, whilst radio and television are, to an ever increasing extent,
most powerful means of influencing public opinion. The local authority public health department
is the focus for health teaching and propaganda within its area and members of the staff, having close
contact with the public, gain many opportunities for teaching and can provide a ready source of
information and guidance.
During the year this kind of personal contact continued to be the chief means employed in furthering
health education locally, but wide use was also made of posters, pamphlets, bookmarks and other
visual media. More than eight thousand pamphlets and an equal number of bookmarks were distributed
via the public libraries, with special emphasis on the subjects of smoking and health and of
venereal diseases.
In the field of food hygiene a series of lectures was arranged to form a simplified course on this
subject. There are many difficulties inherent in such schemes, particularly in obtaining the release
of staff during working hours. However, a pilot scheme was arranged with the co-operation of a
large Oxford Street store. This appeared to be very successful and a further series of talks, modified
in the light of experience thus gained, has been planned. At the request of another large company
with headquarters in the Borough, a food hygiene lecture, on rather specialised lines, was given to a
group of Staff Nursing Sisters drawn from their various branches.
Each year an opportunity is taken of circularising all food and catering premises, drawing attention
to one particular aspect of hygiene. The subject this year was flies, and information was given
regarding precautions to be taken to protect food from them and on methods of preventing fly
infestation.
The large number of injuries and fatalities resulting from accidents in and around the home is
also a matter of great concern, and extensive education and propaganda on this subject is urgently
required and must be given special importance in the programme of a public health department.
Action taken in this regard during the year is described in the paragraph on Home Safety on page 10.
Care of Old People.
The number of old persons of whom the Department have particulars is as follows:—
Bachelors or widowers 144
Single women or widows 1,419
Married persons living together 232
1,795
The majority of them (1,563) live alone and some require constant observation. During the year
4,359 visits were made to 964 old people, of whom 110 were married couples. In addition 45 visits
were made by the two women public health inspectors to six infirm persons other than old age
pensioners.
Special Laundry Service.—The Department continued to operate the service, begun in 1950, for
laundering bed linen and clothing of acutely ill and incontinent or very dirty and verminous old people.
During the year, 55 cases were dealt with, some over long periods, others for a short while only.
Forty-five of these were new cases and each was the subject of a certificate given by the Medical
Officer of Health under the provisions of section 122 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. The
work is done by the staff of the Department's laundry at 217, Lisson Grove, N.W.8.
Bathing.—Under the provisions of section 43 of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1953, sanitary authorities are empowered to make arrangements for bathing old people at their
own request or with their consent. During the year a total of 577 baths were given, 421 to women and
156 to men, under the scheme started in 1954 for bathing old persons at the Lisson Grove Centre.
A trained nurse is employed part-time, under the general direction of a woman public health
inspector, to supervise the bathing and accompany the old people on the journeys in a Public Health
Department vehicle between their homes and the Centre.
The St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association, acting voluntarily and in close co-operation
with the Department, continued to give invaluable service to the elderly. Some of the more important
activities are mentioned in the extract from their Annual Report reproduced below. The London
County Council's domestic help service and Department for the Handicapped, together with the