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10
The Report embodies for the information of the Members a section on the
work of the School Health Service and the School Dental Service - this
being carried out on behalf of the Inner London Education Authority. It is
thought it will be of interest to Members. Although much of the work is
routine it provides a very essential service for the children of the Borough.
In addition to dental work for school children, the Dental Service has expanded
its service to give more and more cover not only to mothers and
young children, but to the handicapped and to a certain extent to the aged.
There has been no major epidemic during the year and on the whole infectious
disease continues to decline.
The Borough has more than its fair share of environmental problems and
pre-eminently amongst these is housing. The bare statistics contained in
the body of the Report are only the outward sign of a tremendous amount of
work that has to be put in to make conditions tolerable for some of the
Hackney residents. Although clean air has been a fact for many years in
Hackney, the problem of air pollution from other sources, particularly
vehicular traffic, is now beginning to give rise for concern. Another environmental
problem giving rise to disquiet is that of noise; the Health
Department can only touch the fringe of this by using such local powers as
are available to them. This problem might well increase and will need the
combined efforts of the future Health Department of the Borough and other
departments such as Planning and Highways to contain it.
The department has been concerned in certain internal administrative
changes during the year as well as in the more overall changes within the
Council. The Medical Officer of Health has also become the Director of
Health to fit in with the new concept of approach to administration.
The department has been concerned in co-operating with the other health
authorities working in the Borough. This has involved liaison at all levels
with the general practitioner and hospital services.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all the
Chief Officers of the Council and their staffs for their help during the
year. I would also wish to express my thanks to the Inner London Education
Authority and its officers for their continued support. I would particularly
wish to express my thanks to Dr. A. B. Stewart who has, during the preparation
of this Report, retired after many years of service to the former London
County Council and subsequently to the Greater London Council. Dr. Stewart
has always been most helpful to us and has helped with many of the problems
of the School Health Service.
I would like to express my thanks to the Chairman of the Health Committee,
Alderman Mrs. Sally Sherman, and to the two Vice-Chairmen, Alderman L.
Sherman and Alderman Mrs. Jean Heath, and to the Chairmen of the various
Committees which this department has to serve, for their help and often
forbearance during the year.
I would again stress that although this Report is put out under my name,
it could only be written because all the officers of the Department contribute
hy their work to the running of the Department, and I would again take this
opportunity of thanking them all for their co-operation.