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Over 1,000 visits were made during the year to these houses, and it
is considered that the time was well spent.
A feature of the Health Education activities of the Council
recently has been the emphasis placed on the benefits of clean air.
Besides arranging and presenting 118 programmes on health subjects to
local organisations in their own meeting places, including the showing
of films and the giving of talks, the Council's health education unit
was also responsible for arranging an exhibit at the Woolwich Trade
Pair, at which a short film made by members of the staff dealing with
the declaration by the Council of its smoke control areas aroused
interesto A mobile hut was erected in the Abbey Wood Smoke Control
Area to act as an enquiry and demonstration centre, at which residents
in the future Smoke Control Area can seek advice on problems regarding
the conversion of domestic appliances and the burning of smokeless
fuel. The hut is manned by the Council's technical Officers and
three approved appliances burning smokeless fuels are under fire.
It is the intention to move the hut to other parts of the Borough on
the declaration of future Smoke Control Areas.
The improvement of the conditions at the many local food
premises, and of the practices of the food handlers, continued during
the year. The Council is fortunate in being able to retain an
adequate number of Food Inspectors® Suggestions made by the Department
for improving the conditions at these food premises were acted
upon. Nevertheless, although the standard in the Borough is
generally satisfactory, and in some notable cases exceptionally good,
there are a number of food shops where the standard of food hygiene
needs still further improvement.
During the year the Council continued to take an active interest
in the welfare of the elderly, and extended this work in two directions.
Firstly, the year was important for the re-establishment of the
Mobile Meals Service to cater for those housebound people who are in
need of a hot meal. This service is being operated jointly by the
Women's Voluntary Service and the Council of Social Service, receiving
financial assistance from the Borough Council. Secondly, the
Council established a laundry scheme to assist aged persons for whom
no other arrangements for the laundering of soiled linen were possible.
The regular home visitation scheme continued and there is evidence
that the large number of visits made by the Council's woman Inspector
to the homes of the elderly achieved worthwhile results and were much
appreciated.
With regard to the possibility of the re-transfer of the personal
health services from the County Council to the Metropolitan Borough
Councils, it will be recalled that agreement was reached some two
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