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99
WORK OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTORS
J. C. Kermode, m.a.p.h.i., m.r.s.h.
Chief Public Health Inspector.
Again the work of the Section has been seriously affected by
the shortage of professional staff. The number of District Public
Health Inspectors falling well below the establishment.
This constant understaffing is giving rise to unfortunate conditions.
Generally, the Inspector's work may be divided into three
categories. Firstly, he has to deal with urgent matters which arise
from day to day, such as notified cases of infectious diseases,
complaints concerning food, drains, insanitary conditions in houses
and the like. The investigation of such matters is urgent and in any
case cannot be delayed for more than a day or so. The second
category includes work which, for a variety of reasons, has to be
carried out in accordance with a particular schedule or timetable.
This including the establishment of Smoke Control Areas, food
sampling, inspection of premises for registration and so on. The
final category relates to the routine inspection of premises such as
offices, shops, caravans, and factories. The duties involved in this
last mentioned group are of equal importance to the others, but
perforce are the ones neglected when pressure of work is greater
than existing staff can manage.
The state of affairs has been aggravated in the past year by the
necessity for detaching staff from other work in order to carry out
unforeseen housing surveys, especially in Penge and North West
Beckenham. This was followed by the detailed inspections of slum
property preparatory to the declaration of Clearance Areas over
and above the work set out in the five year Slum Clearance
Programme.
This failure to maintain adequate routine supervision of the
premises mentioned in category three, especially those 2,272 in
which food is prepared, sold or stored is having an unfortunate
effect and the consequent lowering of standards is of great concern
to the staff. It is the general consensus of opinion that the best
means of ensuring good clean practices in food premises is by
frequent visiting and the education of food handlers in good
hygienic principles and practices. Unfortunately many of these
workers do not remain long and often need to be replaced after a
short period of employment. If standards are not to be allowed to
fall further it may be that a different policy will have to be pursued
entailing the reporting of offences found followed bv summary
prosecution. Unfortunately, the institution of proceedings is in
itself a time consuming practice and it destroys the spirit of
co-operation with traders which has been built up over the course
of years.