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It is perhaps appropriate to record the passing of the
National Assistance Act, 1948, which may be regarded to some
extent as complementary to the Health Act and the Children's
Act, 1948, the so-called "Children's Charter", and while the
responsibility for the over-all administration of these Acts is not
now placed directly on the local authority the Council has been
given an important share in the day-to-day administration by
representation on the local Sub-Committees. Quite certainly
no consideration of the factors influencing the health and welfare
of the local community would be complete without having regard
to these measures.
The coming into operation of the National Health Act,
1946, on the 5th July, 1948, effected the transfer of the personal
Health Service to the County Council and it is for this reason,
in accordance with the suggestions of the Minister of Health in
his Annual Circular to Medical Offiers of Health on the matters
that should be dealt with in their Annual Reports for 1948,
that the report on this service applies only to the first half of
the year.
The sanitary work of the department, the prevention of
nuisances, the supervision of food manufacture, storage and
distribution, and the responsibilities placed on us under the
Housing Acts have been ably carried out under the direction of
the Chief Sanitary Inspector, Mr. F. C. Thomas, and a summary
of the work of the sanitary inspectors will be found in the body
of the report.
Housing remains the chief adverse environmental factor
in the coummunity at present and its seriousness cannot be
exaggerated; it effects permeate every aspect of the lives of a
considerable proportion of our population, its short-term effects
are distressing and apparent: what its long-term effects may be
only the future will reveal. At the end of the year under review
there were 3,564 persons on the waiting list for houses.
In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity of
thanking the members of the Council for their continued interest
in the work of the Public Health Department and for their
encouragement to me.
I would also like to take this opportunity of thanking all
the Public Health staff for their loyal devotion to the Department,
its aims and its purposes.
I am, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
A. W. JOHNS,
Medical Officer of Health.
September, 1949.
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