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3
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
TOWN HALL, HACKNEY, E.8.
July. 1954
To His Worship the Mayor and to the Aldermen and
Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney.
Mr, Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my annual report on the health and sanitary
circumstances of Hackney for the year 1953.
At December 31st I had completed my first year of office as Medical
Officer of Health to the Borough and altogether at the time of writing I have
filled that office for some eighteen months. In that time I have gained a
good broad general picture of conditions in the borough, and in the course of
the next year I hope to see in detail for myself many situations on which up
to now I have received reports from members of the staff.
All available evidence indicates that the health of the people of Hackney
was maintained at a satisfactory standard. There were no serious outbreaks
of any of the major infectious diseases. The one small outbreak of Paratyphoid
Fever was limited to six persons four being members of one family and two
close relations of that family The thirteen cases of Infantile Paralysis
were sporadic in occurrence; unfortunately there was one death from the brain
form of the disease in a man aged thirty-five years. The one case of
Diphtheria in a woman aged forty-eight was of a mild type and quickly responded
to treatment.
The arrangements which came into operation on April 1st whereby the
Public Health Laboratory Service undertook all public health bacteriological
work for the Authority has proved most satisfactory. I would like to express
to Dr. Tomlinson. the Director of the Medical Research Council's Laboratory at
County Hall. and to his staff my best thanks for the efficient and courteous
way in which they have co-operated with the department and with medical
practitioners in the borough.
The position in regard to sanitary inspection staff in post-war years has
been a source of some considerable concern to the Authority. The number of
sanitary inspectors on January 31st was twenty three; five new appointments
were made during the year but two inspectors resigned on obtaining appointments
elsewhere and two retired, with the result that the staff on December 31st
numbered twenty four I am however pleased to report that since that date
further appointments have been made and at the time of writing there is only
one vacancy in the total establishment of twenty-eight inspectors. An alteration
was made in the establishment to provide for the appointment of a Deputy
Chief Sanitary Inspector and a Senior District Inspector: following open
advertisement two members of the existing staff were promoted to fill these
vacancies.
Details of the work of the department in connection with abatement of
nuisances housing, inspection and supervision of food and other matters are
set out in the appropriate sections in the body of the report. In connection
with housing three sanitary inspectors, with the help of three assistants, are
now engaged, under the immediate supervision of the Deputy Chief Sanitary
Inspector on a detailed survey of housing conditions in the borough,
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Chairman and
Members of the Public Health Committee, the Chairmen and Members of other
Committees with which the department is concerned and, indeed, the Council as
a whole for the help and encouragement which they. one and all, gave to me
personally and to the department throughout the year.