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5
Madam Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
The year 1954 was fortunately free from major epidemics, and
the post war trend in health statistics has continued. The many
years of health education given through the agency of health
visitors, school doctors and the health department are having their
effect. The child of today is benefiting by the great increase in
knowledge that has taken place during the last 50 years in the needs
both mental and physical of children whom we hope to bring to
their optimum development. This is unspectacular work but the
patient persistence of those working in the field is showing results,
and they can be seen through the pages of this report. Ealing is not
alone in this progress but as Medical Officer of Health I am well
satisfied that Ealing has derived its full share of the benefits.
Apart from Poliomyelitis, whose conquest is only a matter of
a few years, there is 110 major infectious disease to give us cause for
concern. Future development lies in the close integration of the
services of the sanitary authority in the hands of the efficient and
reliable sanitary inspectors—whom we should of course be calling
health officers since their functions are now so much more
educational than penal in character- the health visitors, the district
nurses, midwives and other local officers of the local health authority
and the general practitioners who are essentially the backbone of
any real health service in any community. The welding of these
officers into a domiciliary health service unit should be the next
step in the evolution of a real health service. Unfortunately as the
pages of this report will show we are at present split into at least
three administrative units for one service and the outlook for
integration seems none too bright.
In view of the effect upon the health of the children of the
Borough of the services transferred to the County Council since 1948
a supplemental report is given to outline the special points of
interest in connection with these services in Ealing. In view of the
fusions of Ealing with Acton it is not easy to isolate them as Ealing
material, but we have done our best to present the matter in an
interesting form.
The material in the body of the report speaks for itself and it
must be very clear that an enormous amount of conscientious work
has been carried out by your officers during the year. May I take
this opportunity of expressing publicly my own appreciation of the
good work done by them and express the hope that they will find
their service with the Ealing Council congenial, stimulating and
equally appreciated.
I beg to remain,
Your obedient servant,
W. G. BOOTH,
Medical Officer of Health.