[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Pudsey Borough.

  • Pudsey (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Pudsey Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/76 (page 4)
    The housing situation which continues to be a major and serious problem is dealt with fully in the report of the Sanitary Inspector. The provision of adequate housing is of fundamental importance in preventing physical and mental ill-health in the community. While families have to endure insanitary and over¬ crowded housing conditions, with all the ill effects, physical, mental and moral, which such conditions engender, much of our efforts to promote health will be ineffective. Applications for priority re¬ housing on medical grounds continued to be submitted to your Medical Officer of Health for evaluation and recommendation to the Housing Committee, who have given the greatest possible consideration to the medical needs for re-housing having regard to the limited accommodation at their disposal. In my report for the year 1950 I referred to the increasing proportion of old people in our population. The health visitors, home nurses and home helps are devoting an increasing propor¬ tion of their time to these old persons, particularly those who are infirm or sick. In many cases they are able to help them with their personal and domestic problems, and can enable them to live a reasonably comfortable life in their own homes instead of having to be removed to hostel or hospital accommodation. As the Borough of Pudsey is included in Division 5 of the West Riding County Council’s Divisional Administration of the Preventive Medical Services, I have included information and statistics relating to these services in an appendix to this Report. In conclusion, I wish to express my appreciation of the care and consideration given by the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee to the many problems which have confronted the Health Department during the year. I also thank the officers of the Council for their unfailing co-operation and the staff of the Health Department for their willing and valuable assistance. I have the honour to be, Your obedient Servant, G. P. HOLDERNESS, Medical Officer of Health.