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TO THE MAYOR. ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE BOROUGH OF LEYTON
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my report on the health of the people of Leyton during
the year 1961 as required by the Minister of Health. This also includes sections on the
County Health Services (National Health Service Act, 1946, Part III) and the School
Health Service.

Community Health needs are by no means static. All sections of the department are
closely integrated components of a service which is concerned with maintaining and
improving community health, and are constantly adjusting to meet the changing local
needs, as we have tried to indicate in this report.
Environmental Health Services
Public Health ever since its inception has been concerned with providing the
community with a physical environment which is not harmful to health. A start has
recently been made in cleaning the atmosphere of potentially injurious pollutants, but
great progress has been made particularly in regard to the control of infectious
diseases, housing, drainage, water supply and food supplies.
The Public Health Inspectorate is the section of the Health Department mainly
concerned with maintaining a healthy physical community environment. It is organised
under the direction of the Chief Public Health Inspector and his deputy on a district
basis; there are 7 District Inspectors and 3 Student Public Health Inspectors.
The promotion of health education in many of its aspects forms an important part
of the duties of the Public Health Inspectorate, but none is more important or indeed
more effective than that carried out on the district; it is an accepted fact that
people learn more rapidly and thoroughly by demonstration and participation than by
theoretical instruction. Public Health Inspectors meet people at their places of work,
for instance, food handlers and operators of industrial plant capable of causing air
pollution, visit people in their homes and indeed are in contact with everyone in the
community whose activities have a public health, significance. The Inspector has, therefore,
extensive scope for effective health education by demonstrating on the spot how
the principles and practices of environmental hygiene should be observed and pointing
out faulty habits and practices as they occur.
Although this aspect of his work is time-consuming, it is never-the-less an essential
requirement of modern environmental health services.
A comprehensive report on the work of the Public Health Inspectorate is given by
the Chief Public Health Inspector each year, and is again included in the main body of
my report.
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