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Council, by agreement, used the Hackney Mortuary facilities; a new
agreement operative from the 1st April, 1956, now provides for the cost
of the Hackney Mortuary to be apportioned, on a population basis,
between the boroughs of Hackney, Stoke Newington, Bethnal Green and
Shoreditch.
Public Health Inspection Staff. The Sanitary Inspectors (Change of
Designation) Act, 1956 provides that sanitary inspectors shall in
future be designated as Public Health Inspectors. Arising out of the
recommendations of the Working Party on the recruitment, training and
qualification of sanitary inspectors, the Royal Sanitary Institute and
Sanitary Inspectors' Examination Joint Board has now been reconstituted
as the Public Health Inspectors" Education Board. The objects of the
new Board are:-
(a) to examine for and issue a Diploma in Public Health Inspection as
the basic qualification to be recognised by the Minister;
(b) to examine for other certificates it may consider necessary for
public health inspectors;
(c) to approve courses of instruction for all of its examinations;
(d) to approve local authorities for the purpose of practical training;
and
(e) to keep under review all questions relating to the recruitment,
training and examination of public health inspectors.
On the 1st January there were seven vacancies on the department's
working establishment of 24 public health inspectors. During the year
two officers resigned to take up appointments elsewhere and there was
one death. Pour appointments were made during the year with the result
that at the 31st December there were six vacancies. In the current
year three district inspectors have been appointed, and one has left to
take up an appointment elsewhere, so that at the time of writing there
are still four vacancies. A system of paid pupillage was adopted by
this authority in 1955. There are now five pupils in training in the
department, and I am pleased to report that the system works most
satisfactorily. These pupils, most of whom have had some training or
experience in the building, plumbing or allied trades before caning to
us, give considerable help in the department, and relieve the public
health inspectors of a certain amount of routine work. The long term
result of training schemes, whereby the total pool of public health
inspectors will be increased is, of course, the more important aspect
of this matter.
Employment for the Elderly. An event of no small importance in the
voluntary welfare services of the borough during the year was the
establishment of Hackney's first Workshop for the Elderly at the
premises of the Pedro Street Settlement in Rushmore Road. The initiative
in establishing the Hackney Association for Workshops for the
Elderly came from the Rotary Club of Hackney whose members considered it
would be a suitable method of commemorating locally the golden anniversary
of the foundation of the Rotary Movement. Much credit is due to
the officers and members of that Club, and to the many individuals and
representatives of various organisations who have devoted much time and
energy to making the venture the success which the first year's working
indicates it will be.
Personal Health Services. That vast measure of social legislation,
The National Health Service Act, 1946, has now been in operation some