[Report 1925] / Medical Officer of Health, Reading County Borough.

  • Reading (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1925] / Medical Officer of Health, Reading County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/88 (page 6)
    General Provision of Health Services in the Area. An endeavour is made in this section of the report to present succinctly the agencies available in the district for the prevention and treatment of disease. In many quarters of the town the facilities provided by the Corporation are not so well known as they deserve to be. The Park hospital for infectious diseases which was opened in 1906 is at present being extended by two pavilions to provide 26 additional beds. In addition to accommodation for the ordinary infectious diseases there is a pavilion for cases of advanced tuberculosis in males. In sanatoria outside the borough beds have been provided for every suitable case of tuber¬ culosis in either sex and there is rarely any delay whatever in admission. The only remaining want in this regard is provision for advanced cases of the disease in females, a want that on occasion is the source of hardship and danger of the spread of infection. The maternity and child welfare services are at present capable of meeting all demands. Consultation centres are now established in every quarter of the town including Tilehurst and the Shinfield housing estate. Dellwood maternity home continues to fill an essential place. The ex¬ tension of the home by the provision of staff and isolation accommodation will aid in its efficiency and comfort. Ambulance arrangements in the area are adequate. A summary is given of the hospital accommodation, voluntary and poor law, and of the medical and nursing facilities available in the borough. Sanitary Circumstances of the Area. From the report it will be seen that the purity and sufficiency of the water supply is maintained at a high level. In almost the whole area the drainage and sewerage of the district is efficient and satisfactory. The completion of drainage connections in the Tilehurst area which is in progress will remove the major sources of complaint. ,The installation to deal with the sewage of the borough by the activated sludge method is still the subject of experiment. Complaint not without foundation is made in regard to the method of refuse disposal by dumping at the Manor Farm. Nuisance from odours and flies at times undoubtedly occurs. This question has been under the consideration of the Committee concerned. Details are given of the result of the sanitary inspection of the area. Housing. The shortage of houses is still acute. It is not easy to arrive at what would be the normal annual demand for new houses in the borough. I have indicated in the report the average number of new houses erected annually since the year 1890 in the old borough of Reading before the ex¬ tension. It will be seen that the new construction since the war has not yet reached that average in the extended borough. The report of the census revealed the fact that nearly 2,000 houses were occupied by more than one family. From information acquired by the department it is doubtful if this number has been much reduced since.