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10
SECTION B.
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE
AREA.
Staffing.
Mr. R. J. Morse resigned during the year in order to take up the
appointment of Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector at Barrow-inFurness.
He was succeeded by Mr. G. H. Smith. The other vacancy on
the establishment was filled by the appointment of Mr. F. W. Reeve.
Mr. W. T. Blanchard commenced with us as General Assistant and
Rodent Operator on 1st January, 1958.
With your agreement an Assistant County Medical Officer from the
South Essex Area Health Department has been afforded the opportunity
of attending this department for a period of 3 months in order to gain
experience in the more general duties of a Public Health Department.
This is of real value in that it affords an Assistant Medical Officer an
opportunity of keeping in touch with the functions which as a future
Medical Officer of Health he or she will have to discharge and which
are necessarily not covered in their post with a Local Health Authority
which may embrace largely clinical and routine duties.
Medical Examinations— Staff.
Staff arrangements remain as last year.
During the year arrangements were made for the examination of
206 (222) employees or prospective employees— 58 (79) permanent and
127 (143) temporary. The 1957 figures are given in parentheses.
Public Health Propaganda.
Community talks and individual advice comprised our approach as
a department. It is difficult to assess the value of community work but
some good is done by widening the appreciation of the nature of our
duties.
Public notice boards, releases by the Public Health to Public Relations
Committee, Civics Committee and Press interviews are also utilised.
Liaison with the Personal Health Services is maintained.
Clean Air and Food Hygiene were the topics most featured, although
Infectious Disease prevention also received attention.
Laboratory Facilities.
Our arrangements follow the existing lines and include primarily
the utilisation of Oldchurch Hospital laboratory (by kind assistance of
Dr. Atkinson) with reference to essential specialised investigations always
available through the Central Public Health Laboratory at Colindale.
In the routine examination of milk, water, etc., the Essex County
Council's scheme is utilised.