View report page

Introduction
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
County Borough of West Ham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you my annual report for
the year 1930. In accordance with the instructions issued by the
Ministry of Health in circular 1119 dated 18th June, 1930', I have
set out the increased services and the new services initiated during
the past five years, these may be found in summary on pages 28
and 31.
One of the most outstanding features has been the great
increase in the facilities for advice and treatment afforded to
infants and mothers.
The work in connection with the transfer of the Poor Law
administration to the Council has been intricate and arduous and
though much still remains to be accomplished to attain the full
fusion of the work with the municipal health services, the task of
co-ordination is progressing satisfactorily. I should like, here,
to express my appreciation of the valuable help given to me by
Mr. Ellis, the Public Assistance Officer.
The great overcrowding of patients at the transferred Central
Home necessitated immediate action. The Ministry of Health were
approached in the matter and speedily gave sanction for the
erection of a hospital to accommodate two hundred patients.
This hospital was built on the site of the present Forest Gate Hospital
and two hundred patients were transferred from the Central
Home to this new building in February last.
A new hospital with accommodation for one hundred and sixteen
patients has been erected on the site of the Convalescent Home,
Harold Wood, and was opened in October last by Councillor Mrs.
Parsons. This hospital is for infectious cases and will enable
children suffering from measles or from whooping cough to be
admitted to the Fever Hospital for treatment.
The Minister of Health (The Right Honourable Arthur
Greenwood, M.P.,) opened a new Maternity and Child Welfare
Clinic at Grange Road in October, 1930. Since then two further
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics have been opened, one in
Forest Street by Councillor Mrs. Thomas and the other in Maybury
Road by Councillor Mrs. Gregory.
Two schemes of great public health importance, the
erection of slipper baths at Plaistow, and the building of large
comprehensive public baths at Romford Road, have now received
official sanction and will soon be in operation.
11