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THE PLANNING OF A HEALTH CENTRE
Work began ori the site in River Place, Essex Road, N.1. in December, 1969. This was the culmination
of a long sequence of discussion and planning, and it would, I think, be useful to have in this annual report
a brief summary of the various steps taken. On 1st April, 1965, the Borough inherited the London County
Council's capital programme, which included a centre to replace existing small centres in the N.1. district for
maternal, child health and school treatment services. By September 1965, informal discussion with local
general medical practitioners suggested that they would welcome the extension of the scheme to full health
centre status, in order to include surgeries for their use. In May, 1966, the health centre became a firm
proposal, and the search for a suitable site began. In December, 1966, the Council accepted the policy of
providing a health centre on a site in River Place, Essex Road, N.1. Negotiations were put in hand with the
Inner London Executive Council to approach local general medical and dental practitioners. The Inner
London Education Authority was asked to consider the inclusion of a child guidance service to meet the
needs of Islington schoolchildren. The new centre would also serve as a replacement for maternal and child
health centres and a school treatment centre scheduled for demolition in housing development schemes.
At this stage, it was necessary to ascertain Ministerial policy in regard to health centres as no express
direction had yet been issued, although advice had been received that such a centre would receive consideration
if loan sanction were sought. In February, 1967, the Town Clerk and the Medical Officer of Health met
officers of the Ministry of Health who welcomed the Council's proposal and made available information
which was later to be incorporated in the Ministry circulars and building notes which have served as the
basis of national policy. The helpfulness of the officials was greatly appreciated, and it enabled the Borough's
officers to make their preliminary plans.
Concurrently discussions with the doctors showed that several were ready to express an interest in the
proposal. The hospital authorities also expressed willingness to co-operate, but none wished to include
hospital services in the centre.
In April, 1967, loan sanction was received from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to the
purchase of the site. The proposal thus became a definite project. In July of the same year, the preliminary
brief was forwarded to the Borough Architect to enable him to prepare drawings and estimate costs. On the
basis of his sketch plans, a series of discussions were inaugurated with the Executive Council and the
doctors and with the Inner London Education Authority in regard to the dental and child guidance units.
These provided a full exchange of information, not only about the geography of the centre but also the
general running of the various services and their inter-relationship. The fact of their being in the same
building offered opportunities for new or extended co-operation at many levels.
In March, 1968, a submission scheme was sent to the Ministry of Health in accordance with Circular
7/67. The basic scheme was for a centre to serve a population of 45,000, to include local health authority
services ( maternal and child health, chiropody), school health services (dental and child guidance) and
general practitioners' surgeries, with accommodation for a full range of field workers (health visitors, school
nurses, and home nurses). General agreement was received from the Ministry in April, 1968, subject to the
reconsideration of various points of detail. These called for further consultation which followed the pattern
of the preliminary discussions, and as a result revised plans were approved by the Council in October, 1968,
and by the Department of Health and Social Security in December, 1968. A formal proposal under Section
20 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, was later approved.
During 1969 the professional and technical officers completed their negotiations for tenders and
contracts, and the administrative officers prepared estimates of staffing and costs which would serve as the
basis of the formal agreements to be entered into for their respective services with the Inner London
Education Authority and the Inner London Executive Council (on behalf of the doctors who will use the
seven surgeries).
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