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services. Yet the intention of the National Health Service Act
was to produce a comprehensive health service for prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of illness and expressed in that order.
The preventive services, built up to a high degree of efficiency
by local authorities between the two world wars, have now become
almost totally submerged by the growth of the curative services.
The trend to transfer to Regional Hospital Boards all specialist
clinics hitherto administered by local authorities, is not found
in practice to further the work of health education which was
such an important feature in the past. Delay in implementing
the Act's directive as to the establishment of experimental health
centres must restrict the scope of the general practitioner service
in making prevention of illness and promotion of health
priority functions in the daily routine.-
Details of the work of the public health department in this
Borough are set out in appropriate sections of the report.; As in
previous years particular attention has been paid to housing
repairs, demolition or closing of individual unfit houses; and a
significant resumption of the procedure for clearance of an
"unhealthy area" in the district. In addition to progress made
in housing matters, the sanitary inspectors have made a special
endeavour to improve the conditions of food preparation and
handling, with a gratifying response of co-operation from the
local food trade.
In the final preparation of this report as in carrying out
the routine work of the department during the year, I owe much to
the loyalty and efficiency of the Chief Sanitary Inspector, Mr.
E.T.,; Jenkins, my Chief Clerk, Mr, A,. W.Lawrence and the whole staff
of the health department.
For assistance and encouragement in carrying out my duties as
your Medical Officer of Health I am deeply indebted to the Chairman
(Alderman R. H. Warren) and to Members of the Health and Housing
Committee.
At the time of going to press it has not been found possible
to include in this years report the second phase in the centenary
of public health in Tottenham, the first phase of which was included
in an appendix to the Report in 1950.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
C. Hamilton Hogben
1st September,19520 Medical Officer of Health.