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THE PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICE
In England and Wales the Personal Health Services of the Local Health Authorities (i.e. the Councils of
Counties-and County Boroughs) are provided under Sections 21-29 of the National Health Service Act 1946,
as amended by the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968. A similar position obtains in the case of the
London Borough Councils with the exception that Section 27, which deals with the provision of an ambulance
service, is administered as one service throughout Greater London by the Greater London Council.
CO-ORDINATION OF SERVICES
Co-ordination and co-operation of the Local Health Authority's services with the hospital and family
doctor services were continued during the year. There was consultation between the three services at
Maternity Liaison Committees and during the year many visits of observation were made to personal health
establishments. Visitors included students of nursing, medicine, dietetics, nutrition, home economics, social
and hospital administration and student tutors. Nursing Officers continue to teach student nurses at
Fulham/Charing Cross, West London, Royal Masonic and Hammersmith Hospitals.
The ways in which domiciliary staff co-operated with the other two branches of the Health Service are
described in the following paragraphs on particular services.
HEALTH CENTRES
The National Health Service Act 1946, made it aduty (which for various reasons has not been insisted upon)
for every Local Health Authority to provide, equip and maintain, to the satisfaction of the Minister, premises
which shall be called "Health Centres" at which facilities shall be available for all or any of the following
purposes:
General medical, dental or pharmaceutical services, services of the Local Health Authority, services of
specialists and health education, and "a local Health Authority shall to the satisfaction of the Minister provide
staff for any Health Centre provided by them".
In July, 1965, the Minister of Health asked for information on the Council's long-term plans-for the
development of the Health and Welfare Services. The period for which information was required was the 10
years from 1st April, 1966 -31st March, 1976; and in addition, information in the year 1965/66 was requested.
It was, therefore, essential to forecast the demands and needs of the various services to decide how they could
best be met for the future.
It was felt that the needs of the Borough could best be served by Group Health Centres for the practice of
preventive medicine and for the promotion of the mental and physical health of the family. These Centres
would provide all or most of the following:
Accommodation for General Practitioners
Maternity and Child Health facilities
School Treatment Centre
Information/Advice Centre
Additional Special Clinics as necessary
(Example: geriatric/chiropody)
There are obvious advantages to both the public and staff in having these services in one building. A full
description was given in my Annual Report for 1968 of the first Health Centre opened in the London Borough
of Hammersmith. This Centre provides accommodation for five General Practitioners and a number of Local
Authority clinics. Co-operation between the two branches of the services remains excellent.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act 1946 it is the duty of every Local Authority to make
arrangements for the care (including particularly dental care) of expectant and nursing mothers and of
children who have not attained the age of five years and are not attending primary schools maintained by a
Local Education Authority.
Maternity and Child Health Service
Notification of births ensures that the health visitor service is available and offered to all regardless of social
need; but those who are in need are identified early and given special attention. Because the numbers are small,
personal contact can be achieved with every mother. The mobility of the population, however, means that case
loads are constantly changing, and personal communication with field workers both within this Borough and
in other boroughs is vital.
Ante-natal care is still provided on a tripartite basis - by hospitals, general medical practitioners and the
local health authority. The important thing is to ensure that every mother receives adequate medical and social
care and that health education is available to all.
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