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Health Propaganda
The spread of health information is a most important part of the work of the Health
Department, and new methods of teaching the people how to live healthy lives are constantly
being devised. Voluntary societies and youth organisations are eager to learn about their
local health services and about ideas on healthy living. Requests from these societies for
talks on health subjects are frequently received, and arrangements are made for lectures or
film strip talks to be given by a member of the Health Department. Time is always given
after these lectures for discussion, and during these discussions many problems are brought
to the notice of the Health Department which might have been hidden and unsuspected
for a very long time. In fact I found this so notable that at one meeting the whole of the time
was given to discussion, the audience being asked to put questions on any health subject
or subject allied to health, which were then straightway answered. This form of personal
propaganda is most successful of all and it is carried out during conversation when visits
to factory canteens, shops and private homes are made by Medical Officer of Health or
Sanitary Inspectors.
Poster displays on the public notice boards were altered frequently to illustrate seasonal
topical subjects, and a special supply of leaflets on poliomyelitis was obtained to be used as
and when individual cases occurred, for the information of relatives, school teachers, factory
employees or other contacts.
As part of the celebrations in the Festival year, the Health Committee decided that
the public of Southall should be given the opportunity to visit all the health service departments
and see preventive medicine in operation. By agreement with the Regional Hospital
Board and the Middlesex County Council, the local hospitals, clinics and day nurseries were
made available for inspection and fortnightly tours were arranged of the services ; these were
carried on throughout the months from May to September inclusive. The scheme was
advertised and the public asked to apply in advance for places on these tours in order to
ensure that the number attending on any one occasion would not be so great as to interfere
with the working of any of the services. The visitors were taken by coach, and starting from
the Manor House Public Health Department as the operational centre, were taken by the
coach with the Medical Officer of Health as guide, around the health services in a pre-arranged
itinerary. At the end of each tour time was available for questions and discussions. 150
persons took advantage of the scheme and appreciation was expressed by all members of
voluntary associations and individual visitors who attended. It was noticeable that on each
occasion a high proportion of the visitors had not previously been fully aware of the extent
of the work that is carried on for their benefit by the various sections of the Health Service.
During the year articles on the work of the Health Department and letters of advice on
matters of health preservation were broadcast by means of the Civic News Sheet, published
at bi-monthly intervals by the Council's Information Department. This propaganda
reached a fairly large section of the public as the leaflets were issued free and distributed
amongst the voluntary societies as well as to the general public by means of the Public
Libraries, Information office, Health Service clinics and Town Hall.
ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MASSAGE AND SPECIAL TREATMENT