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for the services of a midwife or maternity nurse are such that no patient need
fail to obtain adequate attention, and assistance is granted by the Council to
necessitous cases to whom the whole or part of the service is gratuitous. A
very important subsidiary provision of the Act is that the local supervising
authority can require any midwife who by reason of age or from any other
cause is considered incompetent, to surrender her certificate and refrain from
the practice of midwifery on payment of compensation to the person concerned.
It is hoped that the employment of midwives by local authorities will enhance
the status of the profession and attract competent and cultured women to its
ranks, with an all-round improvement in the general practice of obstetrics.
The activity of the legislature in enacting new statutes to be administered
by the health department continued during the year, and several important
Acts were added to the statute book.
The Factories Act, 1937, consolidates previous legislation and embodies
many reforms suggested by past experience or necessitated by the increased
physical demands of modern industry. Specific requirements of the new
statute include a higher standard of general hygienic surroundings, adequate
heating, lighting and ventilation and the protection of the workers from many
of the hazards inseparably associated with industrial life. Executive reorganisation
as a result of this Act will be apparent in future reports in the
section concerned with the inspection and supervision of factories.
The Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937, enables local authorities
to provide improved facilities for athletic exercises and games, and so far as
these appeal to the younger members of the community will result in an
improvement in physical well being. It is however to be hoped that many,
past the age when strenuous physical exertion is beneficial, will not goad
themselves into harmful activity but will realise that for them recreation can
best be attained by muscular relaxation rather than muscular exhaustion.
The Air Raid Precautions Act, 1937, requires local authorities to prepare
schemes for the protection of the civil population from the risks of aerial
bombardment and if this is to be accomplished or attempted throws an
enormous burden of work on all concerned. Schemes are in process of
preparation and will occupy the attention of the Council during the forthcoming
year.
Other enactments during the year were concerned with the fumigation
of infested premises and the drainage of trade effluents.
I wish to take this opportunity of thanking my predecessor, Dr. E. H. R.
Smithard, who was Medical Officer of Health for the Borough during the period
of this Report, for his valued assistance and advice which have helped
materially in its preparation.
The Report is in general concord with the requirements of the Ministry
of Health.
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