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HEALTH EDUCATION
The reorganisation of London government provided an opportunity for the
recognition of health education as a separate section. Although, in common with
other sections, staffing problems were experienced, much useful work was done in
this field during 1965. It was decided that sporadic talks on individual health
topics would continue to be given to various organisations at their request. In
order, however, to provide more effective health education throughout the new
borough, it was also decided that the main effort would be directed towards:-
(1) fuller co-operation with schools in assisting them to provide
broadly based health education courses at various levels.
(2) the expansion of training facilities for workers in the food
industry.
(3) the provision of in-service training for health department staff.
(4) an increase in the provision of literature and visual aids for
clinics and schools undertaking their own health teaching.
Health Education in Schools
Full courses, each comprising a complete series of lectures, were provided
for six schools. In most instances these involved regular weekly attendances,
sometimes only for a few weeks, in other cases for one or two terms. Occasional,
talks on specific subjects were given to another five schools. The subjects
discussed ranged from the history of public health to personal hygiene and
included dental hygiene, home safety, clean food, child care, the duties of the
various public health officers and the dangers of smoking. In many instances the
talks given by health department staff were attended by the appropriate teachers
who developed the subject in other lessons. This co-operation is proving very
rewarding to both teaching and health department staffs.
Food Hygiene Education
A complete course for full-time bakery students in their first and second
years at Rush Green College was arranged and commenced in September 1965. This
was in addition to part-time evening courses leading to the Certificate and
Diploma of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene. As it was felt that
the Diploma in Bakery Hygiene was too specific for the needs of the general food
trader, an approach was made to the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene
for the provision of a more broadly based Diploma in General Food Hygiene. A
number of meetings were held with the Examination Committee of the Institute and
by the end of 1965 a syllabus and programme had been agreed for implementation
during 1966. Apart from these examination courses, a one-day seminar was
arranged in the Small Hall, Barking Town Hall, for the shop managers of a chain
of supermarkets. A lecture was given to the canteen supervisors of a large
industrial firm and talks were provided for three separate groups of trainee
manageresses of a bakery group.
In-Service Training
Two seminars were provided during the year. One was with assistance from
the Central Council for Health Education on "Health Education in Schools." The
other on "Congenital Dislocation of the Hip" was given by a local orthopaedic
consultant. The one on health education was attended by school nurses, health
visitors, teachers and medical officers and was considered to be very successful.
The other, which was well attended, was limited to health visitors and midwives
and was illustrated by a film.
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