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53
STAFF MEDICAL SERVICE
The Staff Medical Service continues to expand. The attendance of 1,710 members of the Council's staff
at the medical suite in the City Hall during 1972 showed an increase of some 50% on the previous year's
attendance of 1,185 persons.
Of the 1,710 persons attending for medical attention or advice, 115 were referred to their own general
medical practitioners or to hospital.
The number of new entrants to the Council's service remained fairly steady, as did the number of
physical examinations necessary in respect of applicants joining the staff.
One hundren and ninety-one disabled persons were medically examined in regard to their applications
for exemption from parking meter charges.
One hundred and forty members of the staff on extended sick leave were interviewed, compared with 95
in 1971. It is also of interest to note that 42 members of the Council's staff were retired on grounds of
permanent ill health (27 in 1971). These aspects of the staff medical service frequently involve visiting
members of the staff in their homes, which can be very time consuming when long distances are involved.
As part of the staff medical service, medical examinations of drivers are carried out for suitability for
heavy goods vehicles driving licences.
Once again, immunisation and vaccination of staff and of members of the public, remained at a fairly
steady level.
Statistics relating to the Staff Medical Service in 1972 are set out in Table 41, page 83).
SOCIAL WORK (PERSONAL HEALTH)
Miss I.J. McFarlane, M.A.,
Principal Social Worker
There have been many new developments in the social services during the last year and rapid social
changes have taken place. Part of the job of a social worker is to make an increasingly complex variety of
welfare services comprehensible to the individual client, and relevant to his or her particular needs. It is
vital, therefore, that one's knowledge is kept up to date and that where appropriate new skills and techniques
are acquired. Throughout the year the social workers in the Health Department have been taking part in a
number of seminars, courses and conferences.
There are fifteen social workers, including the Principal Social Worker, in the Health Department, who
undertake the following duties: Three are concerned with elderly people in need of intensive care; five are
involved in social work within the School Health Service; six work as special clinics for the treatment of
venereal diseases.
Old People's Welfare
Three social workers are concerned with the social and personal needs of the elderly, particularly those
who are frail and who require intensive supervision. Many of them are housebound and suffer from adverse
social conditions and they require a great deal of personal support. The social workers arrange visits from
home helps, district nurses and ask for the assistance of public health inspectors in relation to tenants in
unsatisfactory housing accommodation. A considerable number of home visits are carried out by a medical
officer accompanied by a social worker. It is generally agreed that many old people have great difficulty in
meeting their basic needs for warmth and food. Improved community resources for domiciliary care are in
many cases urgently required and it is part of the social worker's job to make known the instances where
the community services are inadequate. On the other hand a wide range of supportive services is available
to many old people and every encouragement is given to them to make full use of these facilities. Westminster
has a high proportion of elderly residents and much thought is being given as to how their needs may be
identified and met.