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wide range of statutory services for old people, it is considered
essential that each local community should interest itself in
the deprived old people who are living in their midst.
The joint Clean Food Campaign with Erith and Bexley
goes forward slowly but steadily and good progress has been
made in what is essentially a long term health education project.
In April, 1951, a clean food exhibition was held and
was reasonably well supported by the general public. Organised
parties of school children from the three areas visited
the exhibition and lectures and film shows were given. Codes
of Practice have now been formulated for all the main food
trades and applications for membership have now been
received from 98 food traders, of which 19 have been approved
to date. There is still a great deal of work to be done in this
sphere during the next few years to bring into membership
the majority of the food traders in the area. An attractive
plaque has now been prepared which, we hope, will become
more and more familiar to the public as they appear in increasing
numbers in the windows and on the premises of the
food establishments in the Urban District.
The prevention of accidents in the home is being
recognised more and more as coming within the realm of
preventive medicine and therefore a legitimate field of
endeavour for the public health authorities. This matter
can best be dealt with by a partnership of local health authority,
local authority and the local Road Safety Committees,
whose functions could be enlarged to cover by means of a
sub-committee this important part of the work of accident
prevention in general. Preliminary steps to achieve this end
have been taken locally and it is hoped that further developments
will take place during 1952.
During 1951 the Bexley public mortuary was enlarged
and equipped with refrigeration for six bodies. It will also
be used by the Crayford and Erith authorities by arrangement
with the Bexley Borough Council.
I wish to thank the members of the Health Committee
for their support and encouragement and the Senior Sanitary
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