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It will be necessary, if these proposals are adopted, for a further report to be submitted
by the Medical Officer of Health at a later date in regard to the staffing under the altered
conditions.
We recommend—
(а) That the necessary arrangements be made for the dispensary treatment of
persons suffering from tuberculosis to be carried out for the whole of the area of St.
Pancras at the St. Pancras Dispensary, 39, Oakley Square.
(b) That the agreement with the University College Hospital for the dispensary
treatment of tuberculosis be not renewed after 31st March, 1925.
(c) That six months' notice be given for the determination of the agreement as to
the occupation by the Council of a part of 132, Maiden Road.
Maternity and Child Welfare Centres.
5.— The Medical Officer of Health was requested to report as to the possibility of the
present maternity and child welfare consultations being held at four centres in the Borough,
and as to whether it would be a better plan to engage two lull-time medical officers to conduct
the consultations, instead of the present system of engaging part-time doctors. Dr. Sowden
reports upon this question as follows:—
" This suggestion would not be practicable on the terms expressed in the above resolution.
At present, 147 consultations are held each month. Of these, 123 are taken by
general practitioners, and 24 per month by the Assistant Medical Officer of Health,
Dr. Churchill. A full-time medical officer could undertake one consultation each
morning and afternoon on five days a week. This would equal 40 per month, and
the two officers suggested could, therefore, do 80 consultations per month, but as 147
are actually held, this would leave 67 consultations not provided for. The services
of four full-time officers would be necessary to continue the present work, and this
would leave room for some extension. Three officers would be inadequate. As to
cost, four full-time medical officers at £600 per annum would be £2,400. If all the
work were done by general practitioners, at 1½ guineas per consultation, the cost
would be £2,546. As the latter, however, provide and pay for their own locum
tenens during illness and holidays, the difference in cost is not great. A great disadvantage
to the idea of four centres for the whole of the Borough, would be the
longer distances the mothers and infants would have to travel; also, difficulty might
be experienced in obtaining suitable premises in the four districts decided upon."
We are not prepared to advise the appointment of full-time medical officers to conduct
the consultations, as the adoption of that policy would prevent the co-operation of local medical
practitioners in the Council's maternity and child welfare work, which is found most desirable
and valuable. For the reasons given by Dr. Sowden, we are not in favour of reducing the
number of centres to four.
We are making suggestions in the following paragraphs for lessening the number of
clinics now held; but we wish to strongly emphasise the fact that, by the adoption of our
recommendations, there will be no diminution whatever in the service available for mothers
and children.
Berkeley Road Centre.
6.—The Medical Officer of Health states that the attendances at the Berkeley Road
Centre are very small, there being an average of only twelve attendances per clinic, and he
suggests that the cases could be seen at the Camden Road Centre, 62, Camden Road, as was
previously done.