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Appendix 1
HEALTH EDUCATION
The work of health education being carried out within the
Borough has been shared between the Borough Council and the
Middlesex County Council since 5th July, 1948. This would
scarcely be a satisfactory arrangement were it not for the
fact that the same medical officer is responsible to both authorities.
In point of fact, the joint scheme is working very well.
In order to sustain local interest, a most important factor in
health publicity, most of the work, especially talks and film shows,
is arranged through the Public Health Department. The staff of
the Public Health Department also co-operates in the work of
health education generally, as it is extremely difficult to separate
this segment of preventive medicine into that affecting personal
health and that involving environmental hygiene.
The general measures of health education adopted during the
year have followed broadly along the lines which have, one
ventures to claim, proved successful in the past. These might be
briefly described as follows:
(a) Articles on topical health matters are sent to the local
press. Although we have come to accept the co-operation
of the local press almost as a foregone conclusion, I cannot
speak too highly of the help afforded during the year. Never
once has this help been withheld; indeed, the generous
response of the press has undoubtedly been one of the greatest
single factors in maintaining our programme of health
education.
(b) Ten talks and fourteen film shows (with or without talks
and demonstrations) have been given to local organisations.
The film projector and services of the operator have also been
loaned on twelve occasions to audiences of Girl Guides, Youth
Organisations and the A.R.P. Association. However small
the audience, we are always only too glad to take our projector
along and show the latest health films available. We intend
shortly to repeat our previous approach to local organisations,
informing them of the facilities available and inviting their
co-operation.
(c) The magazine “Better Health” no longer appears as a
local Southgate edition. In its place we receive, through the
agency of the County Council, 750 copies of the magazine
which circulates throughout the country. The copies are
distributed through Maternity and Child Welfare Centres,
libraries and schools, and are also available in the Town Hall.
There is evidence that the magazine is read and appreciated.
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