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of 1946. Some of these could doubtless be explained by
the rather severe extremes of weather which were experienced
both in the winter and the summer of the year.
None gave cause for any serious alarm.
The principal items of interest in the sanitary section
were the institution of an intensive scheme for rodent
control and the difficulties occasioned by the flooding
of the Lea Valley Waterworks early in the year.
For a time the service provided by this section was
seriously embarrassed by numerous staff changes, principally
among the Sanitary Inspectors. The position appeared to
have become much more stable, however, towards the end
of the year.
Turning now to the personal health services, it is
possible to record some advances despite the preoccupation
of preparing Proposals required by the National Health
Service Act 1946 for submission to the Ministry of Health.
A Home Help Organiser was appointed and a start made in
building up the service on a basis of whole-time and regular
part-time home helps. The Maternity and Child Welfare
Clinics, which had been staffed partly by whole-time medical
officers and partly by general practitioners, were re-organised
to permit of the antenatal clinics being staffed by wholetime
medical officers of appropriate seniority employed at
the Council's Maternity Unit at Forest Gate Hospital, an
additional appointment being made to cover this extra
commitment. In this way the clinics came to be conducted
by obstetricians of experience concurrently engaged in practical
midwifery. Health Visitors continued to give assistance
as before, and the Senior Assistant Medical Officer for
Maternity and Child Welfare remained in administrative
charge to ensure the preservation of their important public
health functions. The clinical direction, however, became
the responsibility of the Medical Superintendent, who is
also the Senior Obstetrician, of the Hospital.
In the School Health Service, specialist clinics were
opened for ear, nose and throat ailments and paediatrics,
each under the charge of a whole-time specialist with beds
at Whipps Cross Hospital into which he could admit
children as necessary under his own care. Further details
will be found on pages 64 and 71.
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