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The Widening Sphere of Public Health Work
Despite the fact that this is not a local health
authority, the Public Health Department has wide interests
in community care particularly in respect of the welfare
of the elderly. A noticeable feature of the year's work
of the Department has been the continued broadening of
activities in the field of social medicine and the closer
liaison, not only with other branches of the health
service, but with voluntary bodies.
The Church Parents' Group which was commenced in
1960 remains an active organisation, and there is continued
evidence that projects of this kind are well worthwhile
as filling an unmet need.
The Department also works very closely with the
Camberwell Council on Alcoholism, of which the Medical
Officer of Health is Chairman. A great deal more needs
to be known about the impact of drinking in individual
and family life which is bound to have far reaching
repercussions on the public health and investigations
are already in hand with this aim in view.
A bulletin on alcoholism is being prepared which will
be issued at regular intervals: it is sent to general
practitioners, hospital staffs, social workers and other
interested persons, in many parts of the country and
abroad.
A close liaison is also maintained with the Camberwell
Samaritans, a non-denominational venture formed to aid
alcoholics, the sexually deviated, potential suicides and
others whose needs do not seem to be met sufficiently by
other statutory and voluntary agencies. Voluntary workers
have been recruited and given training in both the mental
and social aspects of the problem, and it has already
been found that much can be done by attention to
difficulties arising from housing, occupation and general
community care.
In these and other matters the Medical Officer of
Health and his staff are finding great value in closer
co-operation with the churches. The Public Health
Department's activities are by no means restricted to
environmental hygiene; indeed, environmental' and
'personal' hygiene are so closely linked that they are
incapable of being separated, although there is still a
tendency to do so in some quarters.