Records of Public Health

The collections are particularly strong in charting the provision of basic infrastructure such as water supply and sewerage, but also record the development of services to promote health care and prevent disease. The records date from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first, with most relating to the period from the mid-eighteenth century to the late twentieth.

Local records are a particularly valuable resource for research as they show in detail how individual areas dealt with public health. National policies were implemented by local authorities in different ways and at different speeds, with the impetus for change often influenced by local circumstances, communities and individuals. Detailed local studies contribute to an overall understanding of the development of public health infrastructure, systems and activities, and provide an evidence base for analysis of their effectiveness.

Access to a very small number of records may be restricted in accordance with UK data protection law.