Report on the health of the Borough during the year 1920.

  • Bethnal Green (London, England). Metropolitan Borough.
Date:
1921
Catalogue details

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

Credit: Report on the health of the Borough during the year 1920. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/78 (page 1)
    Town HALL, BETHNAL GREEN, E.2. June, 1921. To the Mayor, the Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present to you my second Annual Report, which deals with the Health of the Borough of Bethnal Green for the year 1920. The year has been one of steady progress in health matters, and a determined and partly successful effort has been made to cope with the arrears of work arising out of the long period of the War. This has necessitated some increase in staff, generously and wisely provided by yourselves, and the formation of a Housing Section within the Public Health Department. There has been great activity in dealing with housing questions throughout the year, and if the results of such activity are disappointing it is not due to any lack of foresight and enthusiasm on the part of yourselves, or lack of zeal on the part of your officers. However, although there are no new houses or cleared slum areas in evidence so far, it must not be forgotten that there has been in progress throughout the year a large amount of repair and improvement of individual houses resulting from the work of the sanitary inspectors. In the following report I have only touched on housing questions so far as they concern myself as a Health Officer, and have not attempted to deal with the important question of re-housing, with which your Town Clerk and Borough Surveyor are more concerned. Owing to the need for economy this Report] is much abridged, and much information of minor importance as well as some statistical summaries have been omitted. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the Members of the Council, and more particularly the Public Health and Housing Committees, for the support and consideration they have accorded myself and my staff during the past year. I must also tender my thanks for the support I have received from my brother officers both in the Public Health and other Departments. I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, GEOFFREY EUGENE OATES, Medical Officer of Health.