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Public Health Inspection Staff At the beginning of the year there were
two vacancies. The establishment of twenty Inspectors provides for a
Chief Public Health Inspector, a Senior Housing Inspector, a Senior District
Inspector, two Food Inspectors, a Clean Air Inspector and fourteen District
Inspectors. During the year there were five resignations, and five new
appointments were made, with the result that at the end of the year there
were two vacancies Three Pupils obtained the Certificate of the Public
Health Inspectors Education Board during the year, and three were in training
at the end of the year.
Welfare of Aged Persons The Chalfonts Holiday Hotel at Bognor Regis, opened
for the reception of guests on April 17th, 1961, continued to prove an
unqualified success. The duration of the holiday is normally one week, Monday
to Monday, and by the end of the year under review a total of 1 500 persons had
had a holiday. Of these 1 343 had had one week s holiday during the peak
periods and 157 had had a holiday of two weeks during the off-peak periods.
This was in spite of the fact that it was necessary to close the Hotel for one
month for decorations. During 1962 itself a total of 828 persons had a holiday
of either one or two weeks. This scheme of providing a rest and change for
elderly men and women who have not had a holiday for some time, and who are
unlikely to be able to make their own holiday arrangements has proved to be a
most satisfactory extension of old people s welfare work,
A further extension of the Council s services for the aged was made on the
1st October, when the Council assumed responsibility for the Meals on Wheels
service, and with a view to its expansion placed an order for two electrically
heated purpose-made vans each capable of carrying 50 complete meals. The
Council also appointed a Social Welfare Officer and Welfare Assistant.
New Legislation The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1962
gives Borough Councils powers to deal with buildings liable to flooding. The
cost of any work which an owner is required to execute must be borne by the
Council who shall also compensate an owner for depreciation in the value of a
building, the whole or part of which is closed.
Recorded Delivery Service Act, 1962 enables a local authority to use the
recorded delivery service for the service of Notices, etc. under the Housing
Acts as an alternative to Registered Post. National Assistance Act, 19h8
(Amendment) Act, 1962 gives local authorities including those who are not
Welfare authorities extensive powers to provide meals and recreational
facilities for old people.
As stated above, the previous Medical Officer of Health. Dr. Fenton,
retired in September. The Department was then without an effective Medical
Officer of Health until the end of the year. Dr. Bielenky, the part-time
Deputy Medical Officer of Health, was called in for consultation on the medical
side whenever necessary until the end of the year but much of the routine and
administrative work had to be borne by the senior officers of the Department
and by assistance from the outside departments. Whilst everyone undertook the
extra work gladly, much of the responsibility fell on the shoulders of the
Administrative Assistant, Senior Clerk and the Chief Public Health Inspector.
Considerable assistance was given to the Public Health Department by the Town
Clerk's Department, and in particular, the Deputy Town Clerk undertook much of
the routine duties that would have normally been supervised by the Medical
Officer of Health. The Clean Air and Factories Inspector, a Mr, Ward, resigned
during the year to take up an appointment as Deputy Chief Public Health
Inspector with another authority, the post being filled by Mr. White, who was
already on the staff of the Department. There were no other resignations of
senior staff from the Department during the year.