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23
Lastly, Hunter highlights in relation to community medicine
the importance of appropriate undergraduate and postgraduate
training and of a career structure designed to match the calibre
required. In this regard it cannot be emphasised too strongly
that the relevance of the task and the quality of performance
represent the only true security in times of change. No epoch
has been more dynamic than the twentieth century in which we
live. The pace of advance shows no sign of slackening.
THE WAY AHEAD
The study of the natural history of health and disease has an
honourable place in the annals of medicine. Clinical measurement
and management of individual illnesses has long been
recognized as a potent instrument of progress with ultimate
benefit to countless fellow sufferers. Much more recently the
study of the natural history of the organization and delivery of
health care has come to the fore and the very real need for all in
medical practice to contribute towards a more purposeful overall
approach is gaining increasing recognition. The recently
published Second Report of the Joint Working Party on the
Organization of Medical Work in Hospitals testifies to the
heartening progress which has been made towards this objective,
admirably defined in a leading medical journal 1 as "a flexible
administrative structure - linking medicine and management — in
which the energies and ideas of hospital doctors can be harnessed
to make the best use of our limited N.H.S. resources". This fine
definition is equally applicable to every part of the health
service.
When all is said and done what matters is the standard of
service rendered. The best interests of the individual, whether
as patient or citizen, cannot be assured unless, collectively,
the medical profession - along with all other professions
engaged in or associated with the health service - gives top
priority to relevance, competence and teamwork. It bears
reiterating in this context that, although the tasks of collection
and analysis of information, of furthering evaluation and
collaboration in the field, and of rendering advice to allied
local and central government services will be of prime concern
to specialists in community medicine, all doctors have a
contribution to make to the shaping of the health service.
Standards acceptable to the profession and the public alike must
be developed from within. Much will depend upon the relationships
established at the vital grass roots level. Management is
an art as well as a science.