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I was a little disappointed that no progress was possible in my dealings with what I
called in my reports for 1959 and 1960 " families with special difficulties " but perhaps
more commonly referred to as "problem families." I had hoped that some special
arrangement might have been made for supervising them more closely by means of a
specialist worker and for attempts at preventive work by the use of a day centre for
teaching the elements of budgeting, child care etc. This is good preventive medicine and
if we are to make any impact on these families, in my view it can best be done in this way.
It will be slow and not very rewarding in either prestige or in results. In the long term
however, it must have its effects. I hope that perhaps within the next year a little more
progress will have been made in this direction.
The public health inspectors have continued during the year to press forward with
the clean air campaign and have been helped by the appointment of an additional public
health inspector. Further progress has been made with the film of the department's
activities in health education, which, at the time of writing this report has at last been
finished.
I would like to thank the staff of the department for their help and co-operation
during the year and the Chairman and members of the Public Health Committee
and the Health Area Sub-Committee for their support and understanding.
J. Adrian Gillet,
Medical Officer of Health.
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