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which all persons in need of assistance or advice of whatever
nature in the health, welfare and social fields could have access
to the benefits of a fully integrated service. Within the confines of
present financial strictures, it is difficult to visualise how the new
legislation, which provides no additional services for the public,
could improve on such a concept.
Social service, as opposed to health service, is undoubtedly
important and it has a vital part to play in the life of the community
but it is essentially and of necessity concerned with
alleviations of symptoms and attempts to correct existing conditions
and circumstances which ought not to have arisen. It is as though
one were to treat the devastating effects of smallpox on patients
but failed to take precautionary measures to prevent its importation
into the country.
There is a yawning "no man's land" between those able to
sustain themselves in the community and others who are constantly
receiving assistance. The area between these extremes, i.e. the
preventive field, seems to be nobody's responsibility and it is usually
only when damage has been done or breakdown has occurred that
help becomes available. Compared with resources allocated for
relief, those devoted to prevention, both financial and professional,
are relatively insignificant. Adding to this already complicated
situation is the fact that improved affluence appears to be bringing
in its train a decrease in the threshhold of symptom acceptance
and, benefits accruing as a result of technological and medical
advances are likely to be offset by increased demands for our
services.
Undoubtedly, today's rising family affluence is more than ever
dependent upon the married woman's excursions into the business
and industrial worlds—excursions which are becoming progressively
more permanent and often at a time when her children are less
mature—hence a mounting insistence for more day nurseries and
child minder facilities.
For good or ill, it is clear that modern society condones and
even encourages these ohanges, but, unfortunately, the acquisition
of the car, refrigerator, colour television, etc., far from maintaining
happiness and harmony in the home, often precipitates their
destruction. Nowadays, for many young people, when beset and
bewildered by life's complexities, home is no longer the warm,
mellow haven of comfort and solace of yesteryear and, in many
instances, consolation or redress is sought elsewhere, sometimes
with disastrous results. There is evidence to suggest that sections
of our adolescent population need a restoration of the quality of