View report page

about the problems raised by radiation. And, after all, who does
not fall within this category ?
The fact that the Royal Commission for Local Government in
Greater London sat for many months during 1959 and is expected
to make its Report in the Autumn of 1960, may well affect the
future of Public Health in a Borough such as Southgate. It would
be unwise to anticipate the contents of this Report, but one must
envisage the possibility that, some time in the relatively near future,
such matters as mental health and the operation of the personal
health services might well come within the ambit of the Borough
Council. Until the Report is received, however, it would certainly
be injudicious to make any such assumptions. The fact that, for
the past twelve years, I have been Area Medical Officer for No. 2
Health Area under the Middlesex County Council, and this Area
includes the Borough of Southgate, has certainly helped me in
establishing the necessary liaison between the environmental health
services undertaken by the Borough Council and the personal health
services under the control of the County Council. I also hope that
this dual appointment has been of use to the Borough Council in
integrating work which is of the greatest importance to the
burgesses of Southgate.
I cannot close this introduction without making special reference
to a subject which has always been very close to my heart, the
matter of harmonious co-operation. In Southgate, it has always
been my pleasure to think that the co-operation established; between
the Public Health Department and other bodies and organisations,
not to mention individuals, has been close and harmonious. Thus,
we have exerted the utmost efforts to promote the closest liaison
between the Department and general practitioners a liaison without
which success in the field of Public Health would never be fully
attained. We have also co-operated to the full with the Area Health
Office, with other branches of the Middlesex County Council such as
the Welfare Department, the Children's Department, Food 6? Drugs
Department, etc., and with the many excellent voluntary organisations
within the Borough which are carrying out such wonderful
work. I would also refer here to the very happy relations which
have always existed between the Public Health Department and the
local press. I cannot speak too highly of the wonderful help we
have received from the local press on so many occasions, and would
pav my humble tribute to this invaluable assistance. The lack of
this cordial co-operation which still seems to exist in some areas,
has always surprised me. It seems so much easier to co-operate
with other people, rather than to act in a non-co-operative manner.
I am completely satisfied that the existence of this co-operation in
Southgate over the many years during which I have acted as
7