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Included this year for the first time is an account of the work of
the Accident Prevention Committee, for which I thank Mr. Bretton,
Accident Prevention Officer. The figures for accidents and casualties in
this borough alone are very revealing and the number of accidents to
children 15 years and under were only 20 less than the number of
accidents to elderly persons over 50 years of age. The number of
accidents in the home involving children was very much greater and
the report of the Home Safety Committee recommends the appointment
of a full-time Home Safety Officer.
The report on the work of the Public Health Inspectors includes
a detailed 10 year programme for Smoke Control Areas, together with
a map of their location in the Borough.
Work under the Clean Air Act is still a major preoccupation
requiring overtime visiting and often many interviews and much
correspondence. In the first area 75 per cent of householders have
approved appliances or alterations and have received a grant. The
remaining householders have either fitted their own approved appliances
without grant or have taken no action.
Re-organisation of office accommodation during 1962 will
materially improve the present cramped working conditions, which
have followed the appointment of one more Public Health Inspector to
bring the number to full establishment.
During the year a new Mortuary Attendant and General assistant
was appointed. He has much improved the mortuary reception arrangements
and the facilities for visiting pathologists.
The report on infectious disease control records an epidemic of
measles in the early part of the year. The illness was moderately severe,
boys and girls, school children or younger children were equally
affected but none needed to be admitted to hospital.
In December notification was received of the arrival from Pakistan
to this country, through London, of two persons suffering from smallpox.
This led to increased requests from the general public for smallpox
vaccination. Three possible contacts from Bradford who were studying
at a local college, were vaccinated and later the remaining students at
the college were vaccinated.
Additional supplies of smallpox vaccine were obtained and
reserved for emergency vaccination of travellers abroad and of contacts
of any suspicious case. Much anxiety was allayed by the restraint and
advice of local medical practitioners to their patients and of reporters
of our local press to the general public.
The incidence of other infectious diseases needs no special comment
except in regard to Poliomyelitis and Whooping Cough.
No case of paralytic poliomyelitis has been reported for the past
three years and the annual number of cases of Whooping Cough has
diminished from 153 in 1957 to an average today of less than 50 a year.
The immunisation scheme has shown continued progress and in
particular the response to poliomyelitis prevention has remained
excellent. A total of 3,793 persons completed their third poliomyelitis
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