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The value of the liaison which I have been able to develop
between my duties as Medical Officer of Health of Wood Green and
Area Medical Officer, Area No. 2. County of Middlesex was maintained,
indeed intensified during 1958. It would be quite impossible in a
Report such as this to elaborate the many ways in which these
links have been forged One might, however, mention two specific
instances. The closest and most harmonious co-operation has been
maintained between the Public Health Department andtheArea Health
Office in the important matter of propaganda for vaccination against
poliomyelitis. This has proved of quite inestimable value, and
has undoubtedly been an extremely potent factor in establishing
the fact that the vaccination against polio rate for Wood Green
children was shown to be amongst the highest in the county. Although
the vaccination rate as applied to the 15-26 age group is not
as high as the rate for the younger age groups, it would still
appear that the Wood Green rate is at least as high, if not appreciably
higher, than that returned by the country as a whole. Here
again, the co-operation received from the Borough Council has been
in no small measure responsible for this happy result. I wauld
again mention the constant interchange of information and views
which takes place almost daily between the two Departments under
my control. This interchange is, of course, relatively easy, as
I am both Medical Officer of Health and Area Medical Officer. But
it is a very great pleasure to me to be able to report that the
staffs of both Departments work in the closest harmony. Altogether,
the part which isbeing played by the Borough Council in promoting
the personal health services of the burgesses of Wood Green is by
no means inconsiderable. And that is almost certainly an understatement.
The work of health education has been carried on throughout
the Borough during the year along the lines followed in previous
years. A number of talks have been given to local organisations
articles have been accepted by the local press and the magazine
"Better Health" continues to circulate. Advantage was taken of the
Wood Green Carnival to press home the importance of an all-out
campaign against flies, and to publicise the current visit of Mass
Radiography Unit 6A to the district.
More and more emphasis is being placed, and very rightly
placed, each year on the risks which accompany the increasing use
of radio active materials. It must certainly be admitted that
Wood Green isnot a district in which radio-activity is likely to
present itself as a serious hazard. None the less, the position
remains unsatisfactory. I am personally convinced that at least
a proportion of the Public Health staff should be made fully aware,
not only of any sources of radio-active waste or fission products
which exist within the Borough or in the vicinity; but should also
have adequate training in the measures which would have to be taken
in an emergency. Neither of these essential safeguards has yet
been provided We are certainly told that the most careful watch
is being kept hy the Medical Research Council, and that we will at
once be informed if and when the general level of radio-activity
approaches the danger point. This, of course, is a statement
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