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REPORT OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR
I have the honour to present my eleventh annual report. It
is, unfortunately, less satisfactory in most respects than any
of its predecessors.
For the last nine months of the year the Department lacked
the services of a General Assistant. As a result, no facilities
were available for dealing with blocked drains, rats, mice,
wasps nests, etc. Some of the work normally done by the General
Assistant fell on to the Public Health Inspectors and aggravated
a situation which was already acute through staff shortages.
Throughout the last five months of the year there was a vacancy
for one Inspector and during part of this period, for two.
Consequently the routine inspection of dwelling houses, food
premises, shops and factories, the sampling of food, water, icecream
etc. went by default and the Council's obligations under
the Public Health Act and Housing Act to cause the district to
be inspected were not effectively discharged, Happily, during
the closing days of the year, the Council agreed to revised
conditions of service for the General Assistant and the Additional
Public Health Inspectors, which should ensure that next year it
will be possible to report the usual high standard of sanitary
administration for which this Authority is known.
As reported last year the Public Health Department moved,
as a matter of urgency, from Wood End House to Springfield
House, Hayes End Road during December, 1959. The work of the
Department was at first handicapped by lack of privacy and proper
telephonic facilities and later, by the noise, dirt and general
inconvenience of building operations. However by the end of the
year the completion of repairs, alterations and extensions was
in sight.
To end on a cheerful note it can be reported that the Smoke
Control Programme proceeded without interruption. This work
falls mainly on unqualified staff and the shortage of Public
Health Inspectors did not, therefore, have a serious effect on
this important part of the Department's activities.
My report on the work of the Public Health Inspectors is
set out under the following headings:-
I. Sanitary Administration, viz:- inspection of the district,
summary of complaints, notices served, legal proceedings,
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