The South Oxfordshire (Medical Officer of Health) Joint Committee was first set up in 1910/11 to appoint a Medical Officer of Health, and to pay the salary and expenses of that Medical Officer of Health. The Joint Committee appointed their first Medical officer of Health under 'The South Oxfordshire United Districts (Medical Officer of Health) Order, 1911'
The South Oxfordshire (Medical Officer of Health) Joint Committee was made up of representatives from the 'Union of Districts', which included the Rural Districts of Bicester, Crowmarsh, Culham, Goring, Headington, Henley and Thame, and the Urban Districts of Bicester, Henley-upon-Thames, Thame and Wheatley. It was felt by these Districts that it would be for the advantage of them to be united for the purpose of appointing a Medical Officer of Health to serve these area jointly.
By 1932/3 the Joint Committee was made up of representatives from 6 authorities in Oxfordshire (South Oxfordshire Combined Districts). These included Bicester Urban District, Bullingdon Rural District, Henley-on-Thames Borough (being the Urban District Council for that Borough), Henley Rural District, Ploughley Rural District, and Thame Urban District. The Medical Officer of Health appointed by the Joint Committee acted jointly for these six authorities in Oxfordshire.
As a result of local government and health service reorganisation, the post of Medical Officer of Health, and the South Oxfordshire (Medical Officer of Health) Joint Committee ceased to exist on 1st April 1974.
Most of the records in this collection were part of Accession 1546 and 3384. H3/A2/1 and H3/F6/1 were originally catalogued along with Watlington Parish Council (as ref: Watlington PC VI/i/1 and VI/ii/1). H3 was catalogued by Jenny Childs, July 2002.