[Report 1955] / Medical Officer of Health, Pembrokeshire County Council.

  • Pembrokeshire (Wales). County Council.
Date:
1955
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1955] / Medical Officer of Health, Pembrokeshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/32 (page 3)
    TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE OF THE Pembrokeshire County Council MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I have the honour to present my third annual report. Following a review of the work of the County Health Department by Medical Officers of the Welsh Board of Health and the Ministry of Education, it was decided to add another medical officer to the staff. This increase could not he implemented during the year owing to a lack of applicants. For most of the year, Dr. Speedy and I had to share the additional duties caused by the unfortunate fatal illness ot Dr. Dorothy Griffiths. With the depleted medical staff, only limited progress was possible until the last quarter of the year. Dr. ThyIlis Bowen became District Medical Officer of Fleallh for the Eastern Districts on the ist September, 7955, and, with her experienced help, it was possible to make marked progress with the B.C..G. vaccination of thirteen-year-old children and certain tuberculin test surveys. On May ist, 7955. Mr. Enos, the Chief Dental Officer, joined the staff and, by the end of the year, definite progress had been made, despite a serious shortage of dental surgeons, towards the re- establishment of the School Dental Service in the County. Other developments included the expansion of the tuberculosis care and after-care scheme, the appointment of a health visitor for tuberculosis duties and for the rehabilitation of problem families, the initiation of speech therapy in the County, the opening of a modern clinic at Neyland and an expansion of the home help service. Unfortunate features of the year included a serious difficulty in recruitment of district nurses, despite the attractions of training scholar- ships and the provision of houses and County Council owned cars, the medical and dental staff shortage and a lack of institutional accom- modation for mental defectives. There were further meetings during the year between repre- sentatives of the County Health Committee, the Executive Council and the West Wales Hospital Management Committee for the purpose of reviewing and improving the health and hospital services in the County. I am grateful to the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee for their support and interest. My thanks are also due to the medical, dental, nursing and clerical staffs of the department and to the staffs of other departments of the County Council. Mr. Austin, the Chief Clerk, has been of great assistance in the preparation of this report. I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, D. ]. DAVIES, County Medical Officer of Health. County Health Department, Haverfordwest. 22nd July, 1956.