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Health Department,
London Borough of Barnet,
Gateway House,
322 Regents Park Road,
Finchley, N.3.
The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Council of the London Borough of Barnet.
I have pleasure in presenting my Report on the Health Services of the Borough for
the year 1971.
As foreseen in my previous Report, the major organisational change arose from the
implementation of the Social Services Act, 1970. The Act came into force on the 1st April
and, apart from relatively minor matters, the transfer of the welfare and certain health
functions of the former Health and Welfare Department to the Social Services Directorate
had been completed by the end of August. It is much to be hoped that the efforts of those
involved in the re-organisation will be rewarded by the achievement of a more effective
service to the public. No reference is made in this Report to the transferred functions.
Reversing the trend since 1964, there was a rise in the birth rate from 13.1 to 13.6
births per 1000 population, while the infant death rate dropped from 17.8 to 14.5 per 1000
live births.
There were no major outbreaks of infectious disease, but an increase from 84 to 118
in the total number of notifications of tuberculosis was a reminder of the need for constant
vigilance.
A shortage of smokeless fuel caused a delay of some months in the Smoke Control
Programme; the situation has since eased, and the Programme can still be completed, as
planned, in 1976.
Significant progress continues to be made in meeting the shortage of housing, as
the figures supplied by the Borough Housing Officer indicate (see page 44). The first
few dwellings have been let on the Grahame Park Estate, which will eventually provide
approximately 1,800 rented homes for applicants on the Borough's waiting list and on
the Greater London Council's list. The new health centre, which will be the base for
community health services for the Estate, is in an advanced stage of construction.
It proved possible during the year to recruit additional Dental Officers, who contributed
to a substantial increase in the level of treatment given to mothers, expectant
mothers, young children and school children.
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