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HANDICAPPED AND OBSERVATION REGISTER
Ascertainment of congenita] defects and the keeping of handicapped and observation
registers have been sustained. The success of the Development Assessment Centre,
based at the London Hospital, has helped appreciably in the diagnosis and management
of children in these categories. The dual approach, from paediatricians cljtiically
orientated and our own staff seconded to the clinic,. ensures a balance of complimentary
skil1s.
LIAISON WITH HOSPITALS AND GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
It is appropriate, at a time when the consultative paper on the unification of
the health services is awaited, to consider the degree of liaison already achieved
in the borough.
Closer links have been made with general practitioners over recent years so
that more now take an active part in the maternity and child welfare clinics and
the school health service. Tentative planning for health centres in four areas has
required mutual consultation on purpose-bui1t premises to provide for local authority
and general practitioner services.
The new syllabus for nurse training giving greater scope for community nurse
training options, is bringing about linked schemes for the training of hospital and
community nurses One of the district nursing staff was seconded on a tutor's course
during the year to further the development of these programmes. As it is, most of
the local hospital nurse training schools send their students out to the department
for theoretical and practical experience in the community.
The mental health services continued to develop as a unified service with the
London and St. Clement's hospitals. The passing of responsibility in 1971 to the
Directorate of Social Services, should bring further close liaison. Plans have been
discussed with the Department of Psychiatry, London Hospital, to provide increased
child psychiatric facilities. Particularly, this is required for the Children's
department's residential homes, within and outside the borough. Also in conjunction
with the Inner London Education Authority, the Oxford House project of the London
Hospital Medical College's Academic Psychiatric Unit continued with its investigations
of pre-school children having a deprived home background. Emphasis is placed on the
formulation of preventive guide-lines.
With the extensionof family planning services at some local hospitals, patients
resident in the borough have been taken into the borough's schemes on discharge from
hospital. Family Planning continues to be provided partly by the Family Planning
Associat ion on an agency basis, and also as part of our own direct services at health
clinics. Application was made under the Urban Aid programme for a grant to extend
the pilot domiciliary family planning service.
The existing three chest clinics, serving the previous Metropolitan Borough
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