[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, East Suffolk County Council.

  • East Suffolk (England). County Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, East Suffolk County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/50 (page 4)
    'I'o llic Chain/ian, and Members oj the County CounciL My Lords, Ladies and Genti.emen, I have the honour to present to you the Annual Report on tlie heaitli of the County of East Suffolk for the year 1951. Of the schemes prepared under the National Health Service Act 1946 there has been no major development, but it can be fairly said that the year has been one of steady consolidation. Quite clearly, there are still many problems to be solved, but the greater number of these would seem to be administrative rather than legislative. Some would seem to be capable of solution if only the administrative machinery of the three partners was not overloaded with separate problems, and it is to be regretted that the full co-operation looked for has not yet been achieved. The report of the Central Health Services Council (published in 1952) on co-operation between the three services may proffer some advice on this aspect, and it is hoped that advantage may be taken to move closer to the ideal through the media suggested. As 1951 was a census year, some comparisons have been made between statistics for this year and those of 1931, the occasion of the last census. Often figures from year to year vary so little as to give no weight to com- parisons, but in looking at these two widely separated years some notable gains in the field of preventive medicine can be seen. Especially is this so in respect of maternal and infant mortality, in which the rates shew great improvements. In East Suffolk, the schemes prepared under the National Assistance Act, 1948 continue to be administered through the Health Department, and in these perhaps more visible progress has been made. Development continued of the services provided for the aged and the blind. Preliminary steps were taken to acquire and open (in 1952) a third old people’s home and schemes were drafted for enlarging the scope of the welfare services to include all handicapped persons. As this is the last Annual Report I shall submit before my retirement from office as your County Medical Officer, I would particularly like to express my grateful thanks for the support which has always been afforded to me by the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee. I am grateful, too, for the ready help I have always received from the Clerk of the Council and for the friendly co-operation of the Heads of the Council’s Departments. I would also record my thanks to the professional, technical and admin- istrative staffs of the Health Department, more especially to Dr. S. T. G. Gray, my Deputy and successor, and to Mr. L. J. Bowling, my Administrative Deputy, without whose invaluable help my task as County Medical Officer would have been infinitely more difficult. I have the honour to be, Your obedient Servant, PIenry Roger, County Medical Officer. Public PIealth Department, County^ Hall, Ipswich. July, 1952,