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Health Department,
Municipal Offices,
Castle House,
2 Walworth Road,
S.E.I.
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
London Borough of Southwark.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour of presenting my Annual Report on the health services of the
London Borough of Southwark for the year 1967.
1967 was a year in which the re-organisation and development of the local health
authority services continued to progress. The successful implementation of planning
any service depends on full co-operation which, I am happy to report, has grown
steadily during the year.
The local health authority's work falls into broad but overlapping categories.
First the provision of services for community care and social support for people who
are temporarily or permanently dependent, and second the prevention of ill-health
and disability.
During the year authority was sought from the Ministry of Health to set up
advisory and preventive clinics for the over 60's. Details of this service are set out in the
report.
The Council also agreed during the year to allow me to carry out a pilot health
survey of the general public by means of a medical examination and a series of tests
using a mobile health clinic. Approval was obtained from the Ministry of Health
for the project under the Health Visiting and Social Work (Training) Act, 1962.
Details of my findings will be reported upon in my next year's Annual Report.
The home help service continues to expand and attempts to streamline the
service and improve recruitment were made during the year by reducing the number
of areas from 4 to 3.
The Family Planning Act, which came into operation during the year, enabled
the local health authority to provide family planning services not only for medical
cases, but also for those with a social need.
As mentioned in my introduction to last year's Annual Report, there had been
failures in early notification of serious infectious diseases. The steps taken by all
concerned to ensure prompt notification following the failures in 1966 were found
to be adequate during 1967.
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