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One of the most rewarding duties of the head of a department is to provide for
staff conditions and facilities to explore and develop interests and ideas. During
these 25 years Dr. Guy Bousfield published 23 articles on immunisation, based wholly
or partly on work carried out locally and other staff have contributed a further 17
articles to medical and dental journals.
While this patchy review of the local health services shows progress and improvement
in many directions, the satisfaction arising therefrom must be tempered by consideration
of the many problems still awaiting solution. Complacency is impossible in
the face of road accidents; chronic degenerative diseases; rising consumption of alcohol
and tobacco; increase in illegitimacy, more venereal disease especially in young
people; increased indulgence in barbiturate, tranquillisers and "purple hearts"; litter;
malicious damage; crimes of violence and all the signs of social sickness in our family
and communal life. To those concerned with local health services, progress may be slow
and sometimes disheartening, but a backward look may provide encouragement and stimulus
to continued effort.
A Health Department cannot work in isolation and it has close contacts with the
Education, Welfare and Children's Departments. It would be to the advantage of the
public if the departments providing personal services were housed on the same site and
this would also facilitate the personal contacts between officers of departments which
are necessary for real and effective co-operation.
A Medical Officer of Health cannot plough a lone furrow and I owe much to the
ready co-operation of my colleagues in other departments, head teachers and voluntary
organisations. I have been fortunate in having a loyal and competent staff who have
helped greatly to weather the trials of civil defence, changes in the administration of
the services and the complexities of new legislation. To the members of the Council and
especially to the Chairmen of the various committees, I am deeply grateful for encouragement
and support,
I remain,
Your obedient Servant,
A. ANDERSON,
Medical Officer of Health.
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