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The Medical Officer of Health should also more closely direct and supervise
their duties, and should be more responsible than at present for the working
of the department, as, indeed, was, we believe, contemplated by the Vestry
??? appointing a Medical Officer of Health for whole—instead of part—time.
3. The Sanitary Clerk is engaged from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on
Saturdays, when he ceases work at 2 p.m. He is allowed an hour for lunch.
His working hours are thus 40 only per week. We propose that his hours
shall be extended by an hour each day, except Saturday, and that he shall
no longer be required to attend the Sanitary Committee, where he is not
eeded. We think that for the extra service he should be allowed £10
additional per annnm.
With this increase of clerical power, and with the very considerable
ghtening of the Sanitary Clerk's present work, which we detail below, we
Confidently state that not only the present merely clerical work can be done,
but that no inconsiderable part of the copying and formal book entries at
present performed by the Sanitary Inspectors can be carried out by Mr.
larke, thus setting free the Sanitary Inspectors for more important duties.
a. Forms of letters should be as largely as possible printed, with
blanks for insertions of details. The forms now in use are few, and
could well be increased in number.
b. The duplicate Intimations which in future will be brought
before the Sanitary Committee should be copied by the Sanitary Clerk
from the notices served by the Sanitary Inspectors. The Form "A"
shall be written as now by the Sanitary Clerk and checked and signed
by the Inspectors.
c. The Continuous Record of Inspections Book, on which so much
time (about two days a week) is now spent, is, in part, a simple
repetition of the information given on the counterfoil of the Intimation
Book. With details inserted on the counterfoils showing the decisions
of the Sanitary Authority, and how the works have been carried out, &c.,
as set forth on Form "B" appended hereto, the requirements of the
Public Health Act will be complied with, and much of the Sanitary
Clerk's time saved. The Intimation Book should be indexed for simplicity
of reference.
d. The work sheets might be written up by the Sanitary Clerk
instead of by the Sanitary Inspectors.
e. Notices to Schools, &c., counterfoils should be numbered
merely, and the details omitted.
4. Fee and other similar Books should be initialled and dated by the
Medical Officer of Health. There should also be checks as to the different
forms having been sent out. Whoever is responsible should invariably
itial and date the items in the books.
We are thus of opinion, in answer to your reference, that a Junior Clerk
ill not be necessary.
We also recommend that the Sanitary Inspectors should leave the
ommittee Room as soon as their Sanitary reports shall have been