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PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
43, White Horse Road,
Stepney, E. 1.
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF STEPNEY.
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
This final year of the Borough of Stepney necessitated many plans
being made for the integration of the three East End boroughs of Bethnal
Green, Poplar and Stepney to form the new Greater London Borough of Tower
Hamlets. The personal health services of the London County Council have
to be integrated with the environmental health services of the metropolitan
boroughs. A great deal of work in the latter half of the year was
done to plan establishment structures, and to ensure that the efficiency
of the public health services should not be adversely affected at a time
of change; nor that individual staff should suffer by reason of a forced
merger of different authorities. For all the transferring staff in the
Public Health Department it has been possible to allocate them reasonably
comparable posts, and no loss of salary.
The way ahead for the year of integration will best be summed up
by the motto 'Festina lente' (hasten slowly). A great opportunity does
exist now that local services are to be administered, and controlled, by
the local new borough. In an area such as the Greater London conurbation
this can never preclude the necessity for the maintenance of close ties
with neighbouring authorities, and with the new Greater London Council
as required.
In my last report I made valedictory remarks which covered the
great work achieved by Stepney's Public Health Department in the past.
With our thoughts on the future, we must make the same tradition of
service live on as part of the larger Tower Hamlets with which many of
us are privileged to serve at its inception.
To all, both inside and outside the Department, who have made this
last year (to include the first three months of 1965) a progressive one
despite calls on time to plan another authority, and to those who over
the years have made their positive contribution to the department I would
express iny sincere gratitude. The Chairman and Members of Committees,
the Town Clerk and other Chief Officers of the Council have, as always,
given their willing help and support for which I thank them. The motto
of Stepney is 'A Magnis ad Majora', may this be true of our future merger
into Tower Hamlets.
* * #
As I wish to have this Report produced before the end of March in
order to begin afresh with Tower Hamlets on 1st April, it is not possible
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