[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Swindon Borough.

  • Swindon (Wiltshire, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Swindon Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    5 Last year I referred in my report to the difficulties of recruitment of Sanitary Inspectors. During the year there has been no improve¬ ment in the position and unless some solution can be found, the work of the department must suffer. The work at the Abattoir necessitates the presence of two sanitary inspectors during all slaughtering time and so puts a severe strain on the resources of the department. Again the inspection and reports on unfit houses involve many hours of sanitary inspectors’ time and with the present staff it will be impossible to maintain routine inspections if the work at the slaughterhouse and the duties laid upon the department under the Housing Repairs and Rents Acts are to be met. During the year two pupil Sanitary Inspectors have been appointed and as they gain knowledge and experience they should help considerably in the work of the department. It will be seen from the statistical tables included in the various sections of the report that the health of the town compares favourably with that for the country as a whole. It is generally accepted that the infant mortality rate is a reliable indication of the health and social conditions of a com¬ munity. It is gratifying therefore to report that during 1954 the Swindon infant mortality rate of 16.02 is the lowest ever recorded in the Borough and compares with the rate of 25.5 for England and Wales as a whole. Efforts are being made towards reducing accidents in the home which each year levy a substantial toll on life and limb. On 16-12-53 a Voluntary Home Safety Committee was set up in Swindon and has done excellent work in the educating of the householder in the provision of propaganda. This Committee works in close liaison with the Health Department even to sharing the costs of propaganda materials. The Health Department also maintains close liaison with the Casualty Department of the Swindon and District Hospital Management Committee and home accidents reported by them are followed up by visits to the home to ensure that accident hazards are avoided in the future. During the year I have again to record my indebtedness to the other departments of the Council and to the many outside agencies and voluntary bodies who have so willingly co-operated with the Health Department. It also gives me great pleasure to thank all the members of the staff for their continued loyalties and support and the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee for their interest and enthusiasm in all matters pertaining to the work of the department. I am, Your obedient servant, JAMES URQUHART. CIVIC OFFICES, Medical Officer of Health. SWINDON.