South Yorkshire Times January 14, 1950
Conisbrough Praise for “Their Back Room Boy”
“Back room boy ” Dr. J. Leiper (Divisional Medical Officer) and his staff were complimented by Coun. I. Houghton (Health Committee chairman) at Wednesday’s meeting of Conisbrough Urban Council on the fall In the infant mortality rate for Conisbrough and Denaby.
Commenting on Dr. Leiper’s report, in which it was stated that the rate had fallen from 74 to 28 per thousand In two years, Coun. Houghton said that such an achievement merited some publicity, because it showed what strides had been made in public health and preventive medicine.
They could now refer to Dr. Leiper as their ” back room boy.” Court. H. Gomersall recollected that at one time the Infant mortality rate in Denaby Main had risen as high as 220 per thousand. Of the three districts served by Dr. Leiper. Conisbrough had the lowest figures for infant mortality, but he warned the Council that the rate might fluctuate, The fact that they had lowered the rate to 28 per thousand, however, indicated the strides that had been made in improving public health.,
Coun. D. Sheldon said they had every reason to be proud of the fact that in one of the reputedly worst places in the country the infant mortality rate had been brought below the national level. The progress during the past two years was almost incredible, and a tribute to the tremendously hard work of the Medical Officer’s department.
In his report, Dr. Leper said that increased work by health visitors, home nurses and midwives has undoubtedly had something to do with the falling rate. During the year, over 6,000 nursing visits were made to homes, and health visitors made 5,500 visits to the homes of children under five.
Coun. T. Davey said there had been complaints about the lack of home nurses and health visitors. He did not think people realised how much work these people put in