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Borough Council for the completeness of the services handed over
to them in 1948. Among the buildings and services so transferred
may be mentioned: the modern and well equipped clinics and
welfare centres; a residential nursery in Hertfordshire; a
residential open-air school at Hayling Island; day nurseries,
nursery schools and nursery classes; day special school for the
physically handicapped child; day special school for the deaf
child; occupational centre for the mentally handicapped; well
established domicilary midwifery, health visiting, district nursing,
home helps and ambulance services and a full range of
specialist clinics, including dental and orthodontic services for
the priority classes.
Today the state provides measures of the utmost value in
helping to promote and maintain high standards of health: notably
by its comprehensive protection against many of the economic
hazards of life - sickness, unemployment and infirmity of old age:
and by the payment of family allowances, an important step towards
removing the reproach that children can be a principal cause of
poverty. But there is still much to be done in the spheres of
disease prevention and health promotion: a challenge accepted by
Local Government more than a century ago.
The following pages, of this my Annual Report for 1955, set
out many of the health services provided in the Municipality;
together with such statistical information as is necessary to
measure failure or success and to indicate fresh avenues of
endeavou r.
To the professional and lay staffs of the Borough and Area
Health Departments I wish to express my gratitude for their loyal
support throughout the year; and in particular my thanks to
Dr. F. Summers, Deputy Medical Officer of Health; Dr. A. Yarrow,
Deputy Area Medical Officer; Mr. E. T. Jenkins, Chief Sanitary
Inspector; Miss H. Townsend, Superintendent Health Visitor; Miss
F. E. Curtis. Home Nursing and Midwives Superintendent; Mr. A. W.
Lawrence, Chief Clerk and Mr. W.L.N. Relleen, Area Chief Clerk;
for their invaluable help and co-operation in the preparation of
this Report.
In conclusion, I wish to express my indebtedness for the
encouragement shown me at all times by the Chairman and Members of
the various Committees concerned.
I am,
Your obedient servant,
G. HAMILTON HOGBEN
Medical Officer of Health.
1st June, 19 56.