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5. Support for Medical Care in the Community
Provision of supporting services
for doctor and patient outside
hospital in the form of home
nursing; loan of nursing equipment;
the incontinent laundry
service ; chiropody ; adaptation
of homes to accommodate renal
dialysing equipment; recommendations
for priority rehousing
on health grounds ; the attachments
of health visitors, district
nurses and midwives to general
practices; accommodation for
general practitioners in health
centres.
Reinforcement of the service
provided by the family doctor
to enable as many patients as
possible to be cared for at
home and, as a corollary, to
reduce the length of stay of
those requiring admission to
hospital.
Preservation of the health and
mobility of the aged.
Creation of close links with the
local hospitals, general medical
practitioners and the Social
Services Department.
Plans for the construction of
three health centres.
6. Staff Health
Advice on the medical fitness of
prospective and actual members
of the staff of the Council.
DEPARTMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Recent reshaping in the light of the Local Authority Social Services
Act, 1970, and forthcoming unification of health services, with the
creation of five functional divisions—environmental, medical, dental,
nursing and administrative—embracing a staff of some 375 with an
annual revenue budget in the region of £800,000.
1. Environmental Division—Chief Public Health Inspector (Mr. K. J.
Winton).
Housing, Food and General sub-divisions
with strong technical assistant support for
public health inspectorate.
2. Medical Division —Deputy Medical Officer of Health (Dr. H.
Gordon) supported by two Principal
Medical Officers (Child Health) and a
Principal Medical Officer (Health Education
and Administration).
Special features comprise the medical
administrative unification of the child
health service to provide continuity of
supervision from birth to school-leaving
age, the priority accorded to health education,
and the medical importance
attached to the chiropody service which
is included in the division.