View report page

HEALTH EDUCATION
As will be seen from the list of talks given by various members of the staff, 1959
was another busy year. A considerable amount of health education is given which is
not listed, not only to organised groups such as expectant mothers and to the over sixties,
but also to individual parents and children by doctors, health visitors and school nurses
in the clinics and in the schools.
This year, we undertook to give practical training to students from the University
of London Institute of Education, as in previous years. Two of the students were
members of the teaching profession and one was a health visitor. Unfortunately, the
health visitor did not complete the course but the other two students appeared to be
extremely interested in all they saw, and contributed much to the work of the department.
In September, Mr. Self was appointed and commenced duty as a public health
inspector with special duties in connection with health education, and as will be seen
from the list of talks, he did an enormous amount in connection with the " Check That
Fall" campaign.
At the end of November, he organised a stand on " Home Safety " at the Princess
Cinema and the Odeon Cinema,' as well as a display at Valence Library; slides were also
shown at three cinemas. From the 7th December until Christmas, the stands were
transferred from the two cinemas to Becontree Clinic and Oxlow Lane Clinic.
Following a food poisoning outbreak in one of the schools, although no blame for
this could reasonably be laid at the door of the staff, the opportunity was taken to reinforce
previous advice given to food handlers in the particular school concerned.
During the year, also, a certain amount of preliminary discussion about health
education in schools was held. Although up to the end of the year very little progress
had been made, it is hoped that during 1960 some agreement will be reached on health
education in schools and its application.