[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, East Sussex County Council.
- East Sussex (England). County Council
- Date:
- 1962
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, East Sussex County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
6/62 page 2
![Mr, Chainnan, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present the sixty-eighth i\nnual Report on the health of the Administrative County of East Sussex, I am glad to be able to report a year of satisfactory progress, with no cases of poliomyelitis and little other infectious disease except that there have been many cases of measles (1,363). These waves of measles generally occur in alternate years; but in this and no doubt other counties the waves in some parts may not occur in the same year as in other parts. During the last four years the notified cases have been 1363, 5326, 797 and 6746 a total of 14,232 representing repayment by the counly health authority of £1,779. As I have pointed out before, from this sum and the corresponding administrative expenditure we have derived no 'benefit whatever. The birth rate has risen again to 14.69, a reflection of the general tendency to earlier marriages and starting of families, to which also may be attributed, perhaps, the slight rise in the infant mortality rate. Just before the end of the year there was received from the Ministry of Health Circular 28/62 v/hich expressed the MiifLster’s willingness to approve of the making of arrangements with water undertakers for the addition of fluoride to water supplies which are deficient in it naturally. This and the added robust assurance that the Minister v^ould support local health authorities and water undertakers in the possible event of court action were welcomed by all who realise that fluoridation of public water supplies is the only present substa.ntial step that can be taken to reduce the enormous amount of caries met with nowadays. Particulars of discussions and decisions arising from this circular must of course be dealt with in the report for next year; but at this stage regret can be expressed at the actual timing, since the circular was received after the estimates for the coming year had been prepared and just before a period of general public concern about re-rating and a rise in rates for the following year, matters which in many people's minds v/ere inextricably associated as indicating considerable demands for extra dipping into the pocket. Radio control of our ambulance service has now been established long enough to show that here, as in other areas, it adds notably to the efficiency of an important public service, I must again emphasize that although it does cut out or shorten journeys and so save money, its Important advantage is that the patient can get skilled first-aid more promptly. This is much more conducive to a quick and complete recovery than being hectically rushed to hospital, as the oft-repeated phrase goes. The Health Visiting and Social V/ork (Training) Act 1962, v^hich has not yet been put into force, contains in Section 5 a most interesting addition to the povrers of local health authorities. Sub-paragraph (c) says, in effect, that local health authorities may conduct or take part in research into matters relating to their functions, a power which is likely to add materially to the efficiency of the authority's service as well as shamenin/3: the interest of their officers. Last year it was possible to produce the Annual Report in time for the July meeting of the County Council, in spite of the statistical material being received rather late, only by the kindness and co- operation of the Health and Housing Committee, This year this will again be possible a].though the figures were received later than last](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2918700x_0008.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
