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KEN 80
THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
Telephone: Health Department,
01-937 5464 25A Kensington Square,
London
W8 5HW
October, 1972.
To: The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I submit with pleasure a report on the health of Kensington and Chelsea for 1971.
This report includes public, environmental and personal health matters together with an
account of the school health service in respect of which I act as Principal School Medical
Officer for the Inner London Education Authority.
The year 1971 was a milestone in local authority health and social services
departments since it saw the completion of the setting-up of the social service departments
as separate entities with the transfer to them of all of the children's and welfare services and
a number of personal health services for which Councils are responsible. In London these
services had only recently settled into an effective pattern after the setting-up of the new
authorities in 1965, and, in fact, this transfer caused more difficulty to those involved than
did that major rearrangement of local government services. For this reason I make no
apology for dealing first with departmental matters.
Meetings were held with the Director of Social Services and his senior colleagues
throughout the year in order to effect the smooth transfer of the functions of which details
are given in a separate section of this report. Both the Director and I were most concerned
that no interruption or failure of service should occur. The good relationship between the
departments begun in the previous year developed and went far towards making the task
easier.
At the same time a viable structure for the health department was prepared. Some
development of existing services was already under consideration. This and other matters
were referred to a number of working groups for study. As a result the extension of geriatric
health care, the care of well women, the further development of the observation and
handicap register of children at risk, the introduction of facilities for genetic advice for
parents and the setting up of a research and information section in the department were
decided upon and formed part of the new structure which became effective during the year.
The Deputy Director and Medical Officer of Health, Dr. P.J.C. Walker, in May took
up the appointment of Medical Officer of Health to the County of Hereford. He took with
him the good wishes of the department and I must record my own gratitude for his help
during a most difficult period. Early in the year I welcomed as Deputy Director of Health
Services, Dr. R.A. Clay, and as Principal Dental Officer, Mr. A. Longden; Mrs. McNicholl,
full-time dental officer, left the service in November 1971 and the vacancy so created had
not been filled by the end of the year. Mr. P. Grace already a Public Health Inspector in the
department was appointed Health Education Officer in the autumn, together with a