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in centres, schools and to the public at large, with home safety featuring high in the
programme. One last function of the Department is that, after death, cremations are subject
to certification by my colleagues or myself as medical referees for the Borough.
Health Service Premises
A new centre came into use on the 3rd April, 1967, when accommodation was made available
at the Civil Defence Centre, 76/80 Isledon Road, N.7., for child welfare and food sale
sessions. The centre was named the Isledon Road Welfare Centre and operated as a branch of
Drayton Park Maternity and Child Welfare Centre.
On the 13th March, 1967, after the completion of works of adaptation. Blythe Mansions
Welfare Centre, Highcroft Road, N.19., was re-opened with a full range of services. Hitherto
it had served only as a branch centre.
Richmond Avenue Day Centre for the Mentally 111 was opened on the 10th April, 1967,
after considerable works of improvement carried out by the Borough Architect. This gave
effect to the proposal inherited from the London County Council on 1st April, 1965, to
provide a day centre for thirty persons. It replaced the centre held temporarily in the
Baptist Church Hall, Cross Street, N.1.
Health Centres
Two major projects which received continuous consideration in consultation with the
Borough Architect and Borough Valuer related to Health Centres - the existing Finsbury Health
Centre, Pine Street, E.C.I, and the proposed River Place Health Centre, Essex Road, N.1.
At Finsbury Health Centre, the Council on the 1st April, 1965, took over agreements for
the use of accommodation by the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board as a Mass
X-Ray Administration Office, and by the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board as
a Chest Clinic. The Boards relinquished the premises on the 31st August. 1967, for the Chest
Clinic, and the 31st December, 1967, for the Mass X-Ray Office. The premises were offered to
the Inner London Executive Council for use by general medical practitioners and to the Inner
London Education Authority for use as a child guidance unit. Neither offer was taken up, and
other proposals were still under consideration at the end of the year. It was agreed that
basement accommodation should be adapted to enable the Borough's disinfecting, bathing and
laundry services to be concentrated there, taking in that part of the work done at Seven
Sisters Road Treatment Centre, N.7. Plans for this scheme were in preparation at the end of
the year.
In my last report, I referred to the initial action taken to plan a Health Centre on a
site in River Place, Essex Road, N.1., under section 21 of the National Health Service Act,
1946. Further progress was made during 1967. The site was purchased at a cost of £34,570.
After consultation with the Inner London Executive Council and the Local Medical Committee,
the Borough Architect and I held a series of meetings with the general medical practitioners
who had expressed a wish to come into the centre. Generally, the terms under which they
would have the use of the centre, and the lay-out of the rooms which they would occupy, were
discussed and substantially agreed. With a view to clarifying certain points of principle,
the Town Clerk and I met officers of the Ministry of Health, in the course of which they
expressed provisional approval of the River Place project and gave very helpful advice on a
number of matters of detail, in anticipation of information which was published later. By
the end of the year, the Council had approved the sketch plan prepared by the Borough
Architect, incorporating the following services -
Islington Borough Council
Maternity and Child Welfare
Health Education
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