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4
BOROUGH OF BRENTFORD AND CHISWICK
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
TOWN BALL, CHISWICK.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Borough of Brentford and Chiswick.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
In presenting the Annual Report for 1939, the work undertaken
in this Department cannot be gaged if no mention is made of the
large amount of A.R.P. we undertook,
Up to June, all duties were carried out normally, but we were
then instructed to concentrate on organising Stretcher Parties,
Ambulances and First Aid Posts, This necessitated some re-arrangement
of our routine, but we were able to do so without curtailing the
Social & School Services.
When the war broke out, however, everything was changed^ for
the evacuation with closure of schools resulted in the shuttingdown
of all special clinics and a great diminution of work in the
M & C. Welfare Centres. The Civil Defence work became intense and
arduous and the staff generally put in many hours ungrudgingly on
their new duties. The Chief Sanitary Inspector was Ambulance
Officer and my Chief-of-Staff, sharing duties in the Report Centre.
The other Sanitary Inspectors and the Dental Surgeons served long
shifts at the Ambulance Stations. The Health Visitors took charge
of the First Aid Posts and fitted (with some difficulty) this work
with their diminished M & C»W. and School Medical work, for M & C.W.
Clinics and Minor Ailments Clinics had still to be kept open. One
Health Visitor went to help in a reception area. Of the Clerical
Staff, one was seconded to the Report Centre, one became an Ambulance
Driver and another Ambulance Attendant. Others did shifts at First
Aid Posts and others were engaged long hours in clerical work
connectcd with enrollments and equipment etc. I have reported on
this at some length as I would like to put on record my great
appreciation of the invaluable work cheerfully undertaken by all,
xor while all this new work was being performed there was no
neglect of urgent and essential matters connected with their normal
duties.
The figures for vital statistics were of course somewhat upset
owing to the abnormal state of the population during the last
quarter of the year, but never-the-less it can be stated that the
general health of the Borough was satisfactory.
I am, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
R.C. LEANING.