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Health education in schools expanded considerably. In the health
education activities in the over sixties clinic, a film strip was made dealing
with exercises for old people, as well as a 16 mm. film at Kingsley Hall Old
People's Day centre which shows in attractive form the exercises which are
advised for the over sixties.
I gave my usual broadcast on the B.B.c. Service Health Talks for Schools
Series in December, and was privileged to broadcast short talks for elderly
listeners to the B.B.c. Home Service programme „Indian Summer„ and its successor
„Home This Afternoon„.
In previous reports it has been the custom to list the talks and film shows
given, but they are now becoming *so numerous that mention has been made only of
organised courses - though as can be seen from the main body of the report, 94
talks and film shows were given to various organisations and schools in the
borough. We hope that the health education in schools will progress in
co-operation between the health department staff and the teachers.
It is interesting to see that while attendance at some of the ante-natal
clinics for examination tends to fall, the ante-natal preparation classes
where the expectant mother is taught about her condition and about the care of
the infant - continue to flourish. During the year, a total of 2,467 attendances
were made at the classes, and the demand still continues.
One subject which has only two lines in the report, that is routine testing
of the urine of young children for phenylketonuria, continued during the year.
No cases of the disease were discovered. This is extremely time-consuming work,
but is very much the work of the health department.
The child development activities organised by Dr. Hodgson continued to
prove interesting, and the Health Visitors helping her have shown considerable
enthusiasm. In the main body of the report she thanks them for this.
The Adolescent clinic, too, continued to be popular. The limitations on
the demands are limitations of staff and space, and we hope that this activity
which has gone along very quietly but which is an extremely valuable one - will
continue to be popular with the children and parents.
As this will be the last complete year during which I shall report on the
work of the Borough of Dagenham health department, I would be ungracious if I
did not acknowledge the debt I owe to the staff of the health department, who
work with a will, very often with very little recognition, but with the satisfaction
of having done an extremely good job. The health department activities
are the activities of a team, and the results achieved must be the results of a
team and cannot be attributed to one person. I would also be ungracious if I
did not acknowledge the help that Mrs. Millard has given, and the support she
has given to me while she has been chairman, sometimes when she has not really
been feeling very fit. She has not considered herself or spared herself in the
help she has given me. My thanks are due, too, to the Health committee who have
put up with me over the years, and with whom we have had some most interesting
and stimulating discussions.
At the end of 1964 I looked forward - perhaps with some doubts - to the
new London Borough of Barking, but with the hope that we would, because of our
increased powers, make rapid progress.
J. ADRIAN GILLET
Medical Officer of Health.
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