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Telephone No.: FINchley 0018 Public Health Department,
308, Regents Park Road,
Finchley, N.3.
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE BOROUGH
OF FINCHLEY.
In accordance with my statutory duty as your Medical Officer of Health I have the
honour to present my Annual Report for the year 1962. This report is prepared
according to the Ministry of Health circular 1/63 and preceding relevant circulars.
The year under review on the whole was very interesting from the point of view
of happenings both in the Public Health field and in the Local Government field
generally. In the Public Health field the Council accepted the principle of fluoridation
of the water supplies in an effort to prevent the high incidence of dental caries from
which this country suffers. Unfortunately the implementation of the Council's policy
lies in other hands and I am afraid that fluoridation of our water supplies, despite the
necessary haste, will be tied to the movements of other bodies which are not renowned
for their speed.
I refer once more to the problem of the aged being one of the most difficult with
which this Department has to deal and which will undoubtedly increase unless action
is taken now and quickly to prepare for the years ahead. The problems of the aged
are due to many factors; poor health, housing, loneliness, etc., but more generally a
number of factors. Fortunately, in Finchley we have a wealth of voluntary effort, but
unfortunately a lack of trained personnel. This is not peculiar to Finchley but is
general over the country as a whole. One of the greatest difficulties in dealing with
the aged is the multiplicity of agencies, both statutory and voluntary, with no one
body able to accept full responsibility for dealing with all aspects of the situation.
Here, in my opinion, lies the solution to a problem which is becoming more acute.
The establishment of day centres for the accommodation of homebound aged
during the normal working day, thereby releasing members of their households to
pursue wage-earning activities, offers some solution to part of the problem, and the
advent of the National Assistance Act, 1948 (Amendment) Act, 1962, has opened the
way to local authorities to provide some measure of help for the aged. As a result of
this Act, the Public Health Committee have considered the establishment of a Day
Centre/Workshop at a site in Ballards Lane. This Centre will, I trust, incorporate a
preventative geriatric clinic and chiropody clinics and will be available to all aged
persons in the Borough. An important side effect may be to relieve pressure on
hospital beds and places in old people's homes.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the year was the London Government Bill on the
Reorganisation of Local Government in London whereby Barnet, East Barnet, Finchley,
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