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ANNUAL REPORT, 1945
INTRODUCTION.
The termination of hostilities, first in the West and then in
the East, brought certain changes—some for the better, some for
the worse. The changes for the better were associated solely with
the natural anxieties about death and injury which had been a
part of daily life for so many years. There was the knowledge that
friends and relatives in the Fighting Forces were safe and would
come home again; that friends and relatives in areas exposed to
enemy attack were no longer in danger ; that families could be
united again; and that no more houses and homes would be
destroyed. The changes for the worse were most noticeable in the
rapid deterioration of an already desperately serious Housing
Situation. Peace had come to a battered world ; the process of
repair was still going on but its completion was not yet in sight;
the output and erection of prefabricated houses was very slow;
labour and materials for new construction were still limited; and
the men and women were coming home—coming home very often
to houses shared with others, to accommodation which in so many
cases was totally inadequate. The food situation remained almost
unaltered; the difficulties of mothers and housewives were not
relieved. Many hospitals were still unable to use all of their beds
owing to the shortage of staff; many nurses were doing the work
of ward maids; cases of tuberculosis had to wait many weeks for
admission to sanatorium; and the care of those sick persons, for
whom hospital beds were not available, became a serious problem
—a problem which could not be dealt with adequately in Beckenham,
largely because the response to appeals made for " Home Helps "
was negligible. In short, the scarcities and restrictions of war were
merely thrown into stronger relief by the coming of Peace.
It is too early to assess the effects of the war on the Public
Health: much will depend on how quickly and smoothly the
difficulties of the immediate post-war period can be solved. The
strain has been severe and prolonged, and rest of mind and body
are essential if recovery is to be speedy and complete.
The various Public Health Services were conducted throughout
the year on a scale approximating to that of the years before the
war.
The Maternity Hospital was working to full capacity during
the last six months of the year. The Infant Welfare Centre attendances
increased steadily after the cessation of hostilities.
The incidence of Infectious Disease was light. In spite of
constant traffic to and from the devastated areas of Europe, no
cases of the dangerous infectious diseases occurring in many parts
of the Continent were imported.
A limited amount of building labour became available for the
repair of dilapidated houses, and a considerable amount of work
was done to houses which had suffered from years of unavoidable
neglect.
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