[Report 1968] / Medical Officer of Health, Staffordshire County Council.

  • Staffordshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1968
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1968] / Medical Officer of Health, Staffordshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/166 (page 5)
    The County Analyst has this year rearranged the report of the work of the Laboratory and it is instructive to read the account of new legislation affecting the standards of foodstuffs and the notes on in¬ genuity, which has to be met by further vigilance, shown by some sellers of foodstuffs to evade the regulations. For the first time reports are made on the examination of blood for alcohol content which were started during the year as a service to the public so they could more easily have their check sample tested. The work of the Flealth Inspector’s Depart¬ ment in respect of water, sewage and milk samples, should be looked at in conjunction with the Laboratory reports and there are some in¬ teresting comments on the newly built Pasveer ditch sewage method in Tamworth. Undoubtedly the most important event of the year, and one could perhaps say the most important event for many years, has been the passing of the Family Planning Act and the instructions received from the Ministry with regard to action under that Act. It is not appropriate here to deal with the details about which there has been much publicity, but the importance of the Act is that this service to the public takes its place along with the other contributions to individual health and happiness already maintained in the department. As would be expected with any newly introduced measure (one need only instance fluoridation) there are people who oppose the giving of contraceptive advice on the scale intended by the Act. Nevertheless, the view is held by an over¬ whelming majority that there are incalculable gains, from an individual and national point of view, to be had by its full and enthusiastic operation. The County Council decided to continue to provide the service through the Family Planning Association, who have enlarged their service and asked the Association to commence a home service. It is hoped by this means, and by the active co-operation of the County staff, that women of the lower income groups, including impending problem families, will now be encouraged to take advantage of this advice and help, and so improve the quality of their life and reduce their problems. The changes proposed by the Seebohm Committee may come into action in the reasonably near future, as may the changes suggested in respect of transfer of junior training centres to the Education Department. Such action will profoundly affect the work of the Flealth Department, though all the staff working there are more concerned that these services shall continue to be effective and of increasing quantity and quality. They have shewn over the years that this is their first concern and this year they have again earned the thanks of the public for their work. Within the limits of financial stringency, these have been the ideas of the Health Committee and we are grateful for their support. As in former years, it is a pleasant duty to fulfil to record the willing and close co-operation received from other Departments, which lightens to some extent the discouraging effect on the Department of the recent restrictions in expansion. G. RAMAGE, County Medical Ojficer of Health County Health Department, County Buildings, Martin Street, Stafford.