[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow].

Harrow (London, England). Urban District Council.

Date:: [1952]

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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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7 be so high. For many of such districts the changes brought about by the Act would have resulted in a raising of the standard and therefore in an improved service. It is one of the weaknesses of the Act, that the position of such authorities as this, of larger population and greater financial resources than many a county borough, was not recognised. Unless something is done to recognise this position, then the populations of many of those larger districts are not likely to have the standard of service which otherwise they might have. The responsibility for providing a satisfactory environmental service remains with the local authority. Many of the personal services can best be administered by those with knowledge of local conditions. These, then, should be provided by local councils who should themselves employ the staff providing them. Those providing these services need to work in such close association that there is every advantage in their being members of the one staff. Since the first Medical Officer of Health was appointed over 100 years ago, the position of the Medical Officer of Health in the administration of the health services of a district has been recognised. Transference of powers from the district councils to the county councils led to a change in the status of the Medical Officer of Health in many districts, a change which might have serious effects on the recruitment of health officers. This subject is dealt with in a separate chapter at the end of the report. As to what might be done to improve what are now County Council services but which are supposed to be managed by local Area Committees, some see no hope of improvement except by legislation which will grant autonomy to the larger of these districts, or legislation which will permit full delegation of authority to be granted to local bodies. But such a conclusion can be arrived at only if it is accepted that the present arrange ments cannot succeed. Such conclusions cannot really be reached until everything has been done to give the present arrangement a real oppor tunity of succeeding. For this to come about, it is not necessary to resort to formal agreements or to written formulae. All that is needed is a recognition by some that others who have had just as much experience as they have and who are, to say the least, not less interested than they are in their districts, can be trusted to administer delegated services. While this is all that is needed, this much at least is essential, because without that the Local Area Committees cannot possibly feel that they are responsible bodies and unless they can feel that, they cannot be expected to have the essential interest in the work of the body, with in evitable consequences. I have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, CARYL THOMAS, Medical Officer of Health. Council Offices, Cottesmore, Uxbridge Road, Stanmore, Middx. May 28th. 1952.