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MISCELLANEOUS
ADOPTION AND BOARDING OUT
The number of medical reports received from Social Services Department in 1971
relating to prospective adopters and children proposed for adoption and boarding out
continued at the same level as in the previous year. These reports are examined by the
Deputy Medical Officer of Health for possible medical contra-indications to the intended
arrangements and, where necessary, additional information is sought from
hospitals and general practitioners.
During the year 17 children were considered suitable for adoption and 20 for
boarding out. Similar recommendations were made on 14 prospective adopters.
In addition, 45 enquiries were carried out at the request of the Social Services
Department for information appertaining to initial applications from persons wishing
to adopt or foster a child.
SOCIAL SERVICES ESTABLISHMENTS
Part-time visiting medical officers hold appointments at residential nurseries, and
at large and small homes for children, the aged and infirmed, homeless family units
etc. A senior medical officer exercise general medical supervision of the establishments
and gave special attention to short-stay accommodation for homeless families.
THE SOUTH EAST LONDON GENERAL PRACTITIONERS' CENTRE
This report covers the sixth full year since the Centre became the responsibility
of the London Borough of Southwark.
I—General
The number of general practitioners who have used the Centre increased from
311 in 1970 to 321. During this period work commenced on the conversion of the space
provided by the boat room and the Centre's section has now been partitioned from the
remainder of the space to be used by the Deptford Evening Institute. Work is now at a
standstill pending negotiation for a somewhat longer lease of the additional accommodation
but it is hoped that the alterations planned will be completed in the very near
future to ease the congestion in certain departments of the Centre. The work at the
Centre shows a slight decrease in volume largely due to the shortage of staff that has
existed in the pathology laboratory.
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