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and agreement on the type of centre, it is hoped to complete this within the next three
years.
The Health Committee, and Council, having considered the principle of integrating
group practice premises with their own services, agreed to support the implementation of
such schemes in this area.
Section 22 - Care of Mothers and Young Children
(a) To date, recruitment of part-time medical officers to work at infant welfare
clinics has not been difficult. There is a cadre of experienced (many married) women
doctors able to provide for this service. In line with proposals under consideration for
integration of general practitioner and local authority services, the question of provision
of 'infant and baby' clinics by general practitioners has been considered. During the
year, a woman doctor, one of the seven general practitioners who are likely to form a
group practice in the Watney Street development scheme, has undertaken regular weekly
sessions at the Council's St. George's Centre. Faced with a shortage of medical manpower,
and the need to integrate, more use of local general practitioners in the authority's
service appears to be the way of the future. Whilst the latent hostility that has been
known in the past between some general practitioners and local health authority clinic
staff has not entirely disappeared, such linked use of staff should decrease risks of
disagreement. There are inherent difficulties which prevent a widespread immediate
implementation of this policy but, as and when opportunity occurs by mutual consent of
the local practitioners in an area, change is possible.
(b) The concept of preventative mental health has received much attention in
recent years, and by a joint seminar approach of medical officers in infant welfare
clinics and psychiatrists some authorities have sought to give greater insight to staff
dealing with problems presented by mothers and young children. At the latter part of the
year, a child psychiatrist holding an appointment in a local school for maladjusted pupils,
and in a local hospital, took over a weekly 'toddlers' session in one of the borough
clinics. His role is that of an ordinary sessional medical officer. It is hoped that
the different orientation expected from a trained child psychiatrist may enhance the
value of a routine toddlers' session which so often can take the form of a check on
immunisation state, general progress, and the assessment of non-existent flat feet on
which mothers tend to fix their anxieties. The multi-disciplinary approach from such a
doctor working in the local hospital service, the school health service and a local
authority clinic must surely prove integrative. Subject to assessment of the value of
this scheme, it is hoped to extend it by making similar appointments in other clinics
throughout the borough. In a rational plan for the local child guidance services, the
value of these appointments would be enhanced.
(c) The joint appointment of the Chief Dental Officer/Principal School Dental
Officer with the London Hospital Dental College is expected to lead, by closer relationship
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