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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 and Co-operation 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 continued 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 (National Health Service Act 1946, Section 21)
The National Health Service Act 1946 made it a duty (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 of 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
(for example, geriatric/chiropody)
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