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6
Health Education.
A Joint Committee of the Central and Scottish Health Services Councils (known as the Cohen
Committee) was appointed in December, 1959, to consider Health Education. The Committee held
twenty-five meetings and received written and oral evidence from selected individuals and organisations
and, by advertisement, invited evidence from interested individuals or organisations. The Committee
submitted its Report in December, 1963, and this was subsequently published by the Ministry of
Health during 1964. Forty-three specific recommendations were made, the most notable being:
"the Government should establish a strong Central Board in England and Wales which would promote
a climate of opinion generally favourable to health education, develop ' blanket' programmes of
education on selected priority subjects, securing support from all possible national sources, commercial
and voluntary as well as medical, and assist local authorities and other agencies in the conduct of
programmes locally. It would foster the training of specialist Health Educators; promote the training
in health education of doctors, nurses, teachers and dentists; and evaluate the results achieved by
health education ". Another recommendation was that local authorities should appoint Health
Educators to draw up and carry out local health education programmes which would take account
of national developments, local conditions, and the support which could be obtained locally from
professional and community leaders, churches and voluntary organisations. Such an officer would
work under the Medical Officer of Health. With the impending amalgamation of St. Marylebone
with Paddington and the City of Westminster it is not opportune to recommend any course of action
in respect of the policy of the present Department, but it is to be hoped that the Cohen Committee's
recommendations will be implemented in the New City of Westminster.
With the population now almost completely literate and showing a growing interest in matters of
health it is time to consider the prospects of administering less medicine by providing more teaching
in prevention, early diagnosis and the rules for obtaining and maintaining a good state of health.
During the year local health education was again furthered by the use of posters, pamphlets and
bookmarks, special emphasis being given to the subjects of smoking and health, venereal diseases and
food hygiene. The outbreak of typhoid in Aberdeen gave forceful evidence of the need for more positive
food hygiene education, and received much publicity, particularly in the national press. Advantage
was taken of the opportunity thus provided to circulate to all catering premises in the Borough food
hygiene picture sets, issued by the Ministry of Health, and the public health inspectors when visiting
food premises gave special emphasis to advice on methods of preventing the contamination of food.
It is regrettable that the majority of employees in the food industry still receive little or no training
in food hygiene. Such training would not only lead to the better protection of the public health but
could also provide a strong sales factor and bring about economies by preventing spoilage of food
and enhancing the useful life of plant and machinery.

The majority of them (1,554) live alone and some require constant observation. During the year two
women public health inspectors made 4,481 visits to old people and 530 other visits in this respect.
Special Laundry Service.—The Department continued to operate the service, begun in 1950, for
laundering bed linen and clothing of incontinent or very dirty and verminous old people. During
the year, 68 cases were dealt with, some over long periods, others for a short while only. Forty-seven
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 528 baths were given, 458 to women and
70 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