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occurred in the Borough. This is the third year in succession in which we
have been able to make this comment. This shows a striking improvement
on the year 1937 when no method of immunising against poliomyelitis was
known. One severe case occurred during that year, resulting in considerable
disability.
Poliomyelitis inoculation was well received during 1961. Since the
scheme began in 1956, 11,400 persons had been given two injections, and
10,098 a third injection by the end of the year under review. The Minister
of Health introduced a fourth poliomyelitis injection for children over
five and under twelve years of age. The scheme was commenced here in
May, 1961, and at the end of the year 2,376 children had received their
fourth injection.
Further improvements in the production of vaccine suitable for taking
by mouth were brought into use in many parts of the world and the introduction
of the vaccine into the British Isles belongs to the year 1962.
Once again it is necessary to mention that the care of the aged, with
all the work associated with geriatric services generally, kept the staff of
the Department very well occupied. This is new work compared with the
activities of the Department in 1937 and in many respects represents a
considerable advance in public health services.
As one of the ancillary services for the aged it is necessary to mention
the Home Help Service. In 1937 the Borough conducted a Home Help
Service comprising four home helps who received a retaining fee when
not working. These employees were engaged in maternity cases only.
Since the war it was found necessary to introduce more home helps to
meet the demands of sickness in the home, especially where mothers become
ill and unable to carry out their home functions and, more recently, to
enable old persons, who are able, to carry on with their own home lives
to do so, and thus avoid the necessity of being admitted to institutional
care. In 1961, 26 home helps were employed, being equivalent to 15.8
full-time employees. This section of the work, which is assuming much
greater importance, represents a real expansion in public health services
and has been an inestimable boon both to the sick and the aged. We are
very pleased to have to record the considerable help given by the W.V.S.
headed by our new Freeman of the Borough, Mrs. O. L. Wiles. Her gallant
team came into operation during the war years and are now responsible
for assisting with the sale of welfare foods, the distribution of meals on
wheels to the aged and a restaurant service for old people, as well as many
other social activities.
One aspect of the work of the Department, which has become of ever
increasing importance has been the introduction of co-ordinating conferences
to consider the prevention of the break-up of families. The pattern
of social behaviour described in reports submitted to the Conferences,
appears to be very different from what it was in 1937, there having been
a considerable deterioration in family relationships. The necessity in
many cases of taking children of such families into care and the considerable
expenditure incurred, has made it necessary to give the most earnest
consideration as to how families can be kept together and parents made
to realise their obligations and the need to provide a good home life for
the rearing of their children.
Housing, too, is a problem very different from what it was in 1937 and
is a frequent cause of the break-up of families. Of all the evils, which
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