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Sir,
Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations, 1952, "excepted area"
Public Health (Ships) Regulations, 1952, "excepted ports"
1. I am directed by the Minister of Health to refer to the definition of the terms "excepted
area" in the Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations, 1952, and "excepted port" in the Public
Health (Ships) Regulations, 1952. It will no doubt be remembered that they were devised to give
effect to special reciprocal arrangements made by the original Brussels Treaty Powers and the
Irish Republic for the Health control of air and sea traffic between their European territories.
2. In May, 1955, Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany joined the Brussels Treaty
Powers in what thereafter became the Western European Union and subsequently expressed their
willingness to extend those reciprocal arrangements to their European territories. The formal
notifications of their acceptance have now been received.
3. The effect of this arrangement is that the European territory of Italy and the Federal
Republic of Germany are now to be regarded as within the "excepted area" and the seaports in
them as "excepted ports".
4. The Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations and the Public Health (Ships) Regulations will
be suitably amended in due course. In the meantime, I am to request that the definition of
"excepted area" may be read as if it included Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany and
the definition "excepted port" as if it included the coast of Italy and the whole of the coast of
the Federal Republic of Germany.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) N.M. BRILLIANT.
Your Medical Officer would point out that under the Public Health (Ships) Regulations, 1952,
an "excepted port" is defined as—
"A foreign port situated on the European coast of France, the coast of Belgium or Holland,
or that part of the coast of Germany which is between the frontier with Holland and the
River Elbe, including the east bank of that river between the entrance to the Kiel Canal and
Hamburg inclusive and any place within the Kiel Canal."
Ships arriving from an "excepted port" are not required to complete a Maritime Declaration of
Health on arrival in this country.
The effect of the letter from the Ministry of Health is that it will not be necessary in future
for ships arriving from ports in the whole of Western Germany and Italy to furnish a Declaration
of Health on arrival in the Port of London.
Her Majesty's Customs and Trinity House have been informed of this proposed amendment of
the Public Health (Ships) Regulations, 1952.
SECTION VII-SMALLPOX
1. Name of Isolation Hospital to which smallpox cases are sent from the district.
Long Reach Hospital is situated on the south bank of the River Thames about eight miles
above Gravesend. The hospital consists of 10 ward blocks capable of accommodating 170
patients but, except in cases of emergency, only three ward blocks (2 of 20 beds and 1, a cubicle
ward of 10 beds), total 50 beds are kept available for immediate use. The hospital includes
residential quarters for the staff and a laundry although the administration and staffing is carried
out from Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford.
2. Arrangements for transport of such cases to that hospital by ambulance giving the name of
the Authority responsible for the ambulance and the vaccinal state of the ambulance
crews.
A case or cases of smallpox would be removed from the vessel by this Authority's Ambulance
launch and conveyed ashore via the pontoon at Denton and from thence conveyed by road ambulance
direct to Long Reach Hospital.
The Port Health Authority would be responsible for the vaccinal state of their Ambulance
Launch crews while the vaccinal state of the Road Ambulance personnel would be the concern
of the South-East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board under whose jurisdiction both Joyce
Green and Long Reach Hospitals fall.
3. Names of smallpox consultants available.
Dr. W. T. G. Boul Dr. J. P. Marsden
Dr. W. J. Coughlan Dr. M. T. Mitman
Dr. H. S. Banks Dr. J. W. Armstrong
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