[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Winchester R.D.C.

  • Winchester (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Winchester R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/44 (page 7)
    T 'it aoiiTfi on the oi* houQ-.ng reiatiu- -c-.. nea±tn. -n-r-'^^sioK therefore, of private and council houses dindrig the year Tne 5.n an irrprovement generally - though imposa- Ibirfo ItatLst'cali; - in the health of the people. E«.=ouragement, hy ■tario!^ ^es of loans, is given to the prospective private house-owner and mny AVisil th'^mselvea of the provision. Others, on the waiting list for council V AQ u-iViincr and able to pay the rent and continuing in optimistic mood to waii t^eiftJn!' U^^ita?e to amhaS on what to them in the uncharted sea of ho'ose owne. ship There is in the community a group, who, though financially corape en o oolS! house, do not feel disposed to accept such a some eases, ij/norance is the cause; in otners, a feeling of financial msec y anl a fear of inability to nake repayment of a loan. One is forced to ' t^ficient publicity is given to the schemes eivailable to sudi a groip of potent- U1 hoiof-avneL - in la^.a.ge they can understand and with concrete xnstances, using simple financial terms and figui’es. The activities of the Housing Committee, restricted as they are in the provision of ^ew houses and directed more to the the existing, are praiseworthj'. The increasing proportion o.t people in tne c—Ity If heirvi'reccgnised-oy the provision of bungalows; -P-f elderly, there are other groi^a req-uire oiicn provision, whuso are s^^arted by meddi^tl certificates of diverse olaracter - from horror of stairs, the gentleman with the wooden leg who finds dation more suitable, the mother of a large family with the ^ ^ nearer to the unus'ual applicant who claimed that in tlus age of f he v/as to ilother Harth the safer he felt. The assessment o is at tiriiDB no sinple matter. General. Prevention is batter than cui-e. The Health Sei-vice, conoemd as it is With the^ure^ the ill and the dincovary- of batter -s^ans of by its cost and dramatic appeal, the preventive services. As Lipo.tant investigation of ca’jses of illness a:ad their prc'/entioxi The two services should go together; they are not ment of health. The more peopl.e who can be kept well, the accustom the cur-ative services and the less the economic loss to the nation. So accustom tiave we bcconie to improvements in the national health, that we a ® ^ granted. The Ireal co.vicil used not offer any .apology for fight agal»,t diseiise. 11/ tte provision of a proper water su^-y. ty s'-'f sohemss, whether new or maiifications of existing services, ” facilities housing by ereurlng a safe milk and by offering and lJ;it! educatichi they are taking a full part in promoti/« commu/iity health It is easy to forget that such diseases ’ the work of the pLibiic health service. Concentration has tended .o , past, on the environment and infectious diseases. There is now ^ Srea-er m Rtuay all the factors which might affect the health of the ^ ^ to all health problems the methods which have been instromenial in ^ . ions diseases. For this to be achieved, the health services require in^egratio] At present, the Icnov;ledge is there but it laclca oo-ordination. I !,c\cno>vie.-Ve the assistance given by the Sanitary Inspectors and the clerical 3;;? and^in concluding, would like to thank the f-i™nn and Members the Health Coia.iittee for their kind consideration throughout the year. I am, Your obedient Servant, JOHN L. PARMER lefo.''!i r»s< 1 n'P'p’iriAf’ of Health*