View report page

6
have made a number of recommendations for preventive action
and have indicated the directions in which ultimate solutions
may be found."
The Council supported the Health Committee in their expressed
intention to use the new powers with all possible urgency withii
the bounds of practicability.
In the field of infectious diseases, vaccination against
poliomyelitis was a new and welcomed duty. Vaccine for only llj
of the children registered was available before June 30th, the
final date for 1956. From this experience, the vaccine appears
safe and free from any unpleasant reactions. Proof of efficacjl
remains a matter for the future. Poliomyelitis cases inl956wer; I
of average number in comparison with the previous ten years, I
Sonn£ dysentery showed its usual winter prevalence in an outbreak
associated with the infant department of a primary school. It
responded to control measures established from our experience is
1955.
Housing applications on medical grounds continued to increasil
in number and absorbed much time of many officers of the department.
In the personal health services, the schemes mentioned last I
year of a laundry service and rehabilitation of elderly persons
by a special home nurse were commenced. The strengthening of the
home help service was approved to allow especially more time for
old people. Authority was obtained from the Ministry of Healtb
for the building of the administrative centre and hostel for
district nurses.
1956 was thus a year of steady development in most branches
of the work covered by the National Health Service Act, using
well established facilities and adding new aspects to meet clearly
defined needs.
I thank the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Members of the Committee
for their unfailing support and encouragement. The Tow
Clerk and other Chief and Senior Officers have at all times given
most readily their advice and help, and the usual good relationships
with other branches of the health service have continued.
My staff have met new duties with resource and carried out
routine work with their usual efficiency. I would mention particularly
this year, the Chief and deputy Chief Public Health
Inspector on whom the responsibility for applying new and important
legislation has mainly resolved.
I am,
Yours faithfully,
S.L. WRIGHT,
Medical Officer of Health