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The Centre will always be a reminder of the valuable work Dr. Mair did for handicapped
children during her stay in Dagenham, and we were sorry to lose her in the first
half of 1961.
I have to record my disappointment that I failed to make progress with my suggestion
made last year for dealing with problem families (or what I prefer to call families with
special difficulties). I had hoped that we should be able to provide a specialist worker
to deal with the families in Dagenham as a preliminary to providing a day housecraft
centre. I had felt that a social case worker would be needed for this particular function,
but was unable to secure the necessary support for this venture.
The quiet way in which the public health inspectors always carry out their routine
functions, and the report submitted year after year by Mr. Prior, together with the fact
that things usually go smoothly, tends to make us forget the enormous amount of work
they do and their valuable contribution to the health of the citizens of Dagenham.
The work of the public health inspectors continues to increase as increasing duties
are placed upon them, and the outbreak of Sonnei Dysentery, which occurred in the
early part of the year, placed a very heavy extra burden upon the ever willing staff.
Health Education is beginning to take its rightful place in the activities of the department,
as the impressive list of talks and film shows bears witness. I had hoped that
organised courses in ‘Health’ could have been commenced but because of shortage of
time this was not possible, although the first course in Food Hygiene, held at Staffords
Bakery, must be recognised as an important forward step.
I must refer to the loss of Miss Gordon, who died in January 1961 and is so missed
by all who knew her. A short reference to her will be found in the body of the report.
Finally, I must say more than a formal thank you to the staff of the department
for their loyal co-operation and to the Public Health Committee and the Health Area
Sub-Committee for their support and understanding.
Public Health at times seems very slow to produce results and being undramatic
receives very little of the limelight, except when things go wrong. Much of what we do
or strive to do may take many years to reach fruition and, indeed, we may never see the
full results of our planning.
I feel that the following, quoted by Professor D. M. Bissell, Health Officer, City of
San Jose, California, U.S.A., at the Central Council for Health Education Summer
School at Bangor in 1959, sums up something of the philosophy behind the public
health service:—
"Public Health dreams of a time when there shall be no unnecessary suffering and
no premature deaths; when the welfare of the people shall be our highest concern;
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