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HEALTH CENTRES
Plans were approved by the former Ministry of Health for the Council's first comprehensive
health centre in Stanstead Road/Brockly Rise and, following a public
enquiry, the Minister of Housing and Local Government granted planning permission
for this centre. Detailed planning proceeded throughout the year for this centre
which it is hoped will open early in 1971. The centre will provide consulting suites
for six general practitioners, a full range of local health authority services including
chiropody and family planning, two local authority dental surgeries and one general
dental service surgery, an Inner London Education Authority child guidance clinic,
a home help office and office accommodation for nursing and midwifery staff.
There was a marked improvement during the year in the standard of premises
used for maternal and child health. The Kingswear Health Centre, is purpose built
with three consulting rooms, health education area, treatment centre, chiropody
clinic and office accommodation for health visitors, occupying the ground floor of
a block of flats in Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, opened in August. Services previously
provided in very unsatisfactory accommodation in Louise House nearby were
transferred to this centre and the centre programme has since been expanded. A
similar but smaller ground floor purpose built centre off Blackheath Hill, named the
Heathside Centre, opened later in the year and services which had been provided
in a prefabricated building were transferred to the new centre.
Premises in Speedwell Street, Deptford, formerly used to provide residential
nursing accommodation with some clinic work were adapted during the year and a
new centre, named the Speedwell Health Centre opened there in December. With
the opening of this centre it was possible to transfer services and staff from the overcrowded
Amersham Road Centre.
A purpose built centre in Oxestalls Road, S.E.8, forming part of the Royal Victoria
Yard Development scheme was handed over to the Council by the Greater London
Council in December and equipping of this centre, named the Lind Health Centre,
was proceeding at the end of the year in anticipation of opening early in 1969.
Weekly child health sessions held in a Tenant's Club-room in Sydenham Hill which
was unsatisfactory both from the accommodation and location point of view were
transferred to the London City Mission Hall in Wells Park Road, Sydenham, which
is proving much more suitable,
Much needed improvements were carried out at certain existing centres. A rearrangement
of rooms used by staff at the Central Lewisham Centre enabled an
additional room to be brought into use for health visitor interviewing and some
satisfactory creche accommodation. Improved office accommodation was provided
for health visiting staff at the Spalding House and Trewsbury Road Centres, and
extra accommodation was provided at the Grove Park Centre to enable health
visitors to be based there. Refrigerators are now held at all centres.
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