View report page

THE ROLE OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
AS INDUSTRIAL MEDICAL OFFICER TO THE COUNCIL
For very many years it has been the practice in this
Borough for the Medical Officer of Health to undertake the
medical examination of all applicants, both officers and
workmen, who are appointed to the permanent establishment.
In addition, he is required to see and report on all employees
who have been absent from duty owing to illness or injury
for more than fourteen days.
In 1948, these responsibilities were augmented by the
requirement to medically examine all temporary employees
prior to their acceptance into the Council s Sickness Pay
Scheme after six months'" service, and, subsequently, all
temporary officers eligible for admission to the unestablished
staff.
The Medical Officer of Health is also frequently asked
by the Establishment Committee to make special reports in
cases where officers and workmen have been absent from
duty for a considerable time and the question arises as
to whether they should be superannuated, or, in the case
of workmen, whether they could undertake light work, if
available.
It will be readily realised that, with the increase
in the number of staff engaged by the Council in recent
years and the frequent 'turn-over' of temporary employees,
these duties and responsibilities have considerably increased.
The work is time-absorbing, not only for the
Medical Officer of Health and his Deputy, but also for the
administrative staff, since it involves a comprehensive
system of confidential record keeping and a great deal of
correspondence with hospitals and general practitioners.
Each medical examination includes a radiological examination
of the chest for which an appointment is made for attendance
at the Camberwell Chest Clinic, St. Giles Hospital.
The figures set out in the table on pages 70/71 in the
statistical appendix to this Report give some idea of the
extent to which the medical supervision of the Council' s
staff has grown; they do not, however, reflect the whole
of the work involved. For example, the table indicates
that 467 sick employees were seen during the year, but
there were a further 572 who did not attend for examination,