London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Ealing 1958

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]

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outfalls were referred to the Borough Councils for inves
tigation Copies of the analyst s reports would in future
be supplied for Medical Officers of Health through Borough
Surveyors to ensure co ordination between the respective
Departments
(c; Storm water overflows from local authority sewers
The Conference agreed that the solution of this aspect
of the problem would involve very heavy capital expendi
ture for which the Minister was not prepared to grant
loan sanction at the present time
During 1953 work continued along the lines envisaged
at the Conference
In March 1953 a meeting of the Medical Officers of
Health and Chief Public Health Inspectors of Middlesex
together with the County Engineer and the Chief Chemist
from Mogden was held in order to further encourage work
on river pollution
Despite these efforts samples still showed pollution
and in June 1953 it was decided to notify all schools
regarding the madvisability of bathing in the river
Efforts too were made by press and other publicity to
acquaint property owners of the danger to health caused
by illegal dram and sewer connections
During 1954 efforts to prevent pollution reached a
peak namely 500 inspections being made and over 100
defects being remedied
In September 1955 the Middlesex County Council who
had hitherto undertaken analyses of samples informed us
that owing to staff shortages they were forced to dis
continue the service Arrangements were therefore made
with a private analyst
The work continued at a high level in 1955 but shortage
of staff reduced this considerably in 1956 The staffing
position had improved sufficiently by 1957 to enable a
renewed effort to be made This year, however, other
commitments have again reduced the time available for
this work The following table shows the work done in the
last five years