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MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
During the course of the year Dr Tracy and I carry out a number of
examinations to determine whether new entrants to the Council's service were fit
for superannuation purposes We also examine personnel for the London Electricity
Board, the Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee and the Valuation Panel.
During the year I have been asked on two occasions to examine persons living in
the neighbourhood who were accepting positions in Borough Councils elsewhere. I
have carried out these examinations for it is the usual practice for Councils to
help each other in this way on a reciprocal basis.
The number of special examinations is stated as 8, but I would inform
the Council that a vast amount of correspondence has to be carried out with
private doctors and with hospitals to ascertain the fitness of members of the
staff who have been off duty for some while. Di;. Tracy and I would like to thank
the Staff Committee in particular for the kindness of its attitude in the reception
of these special reports. The conditions we have to deal with cover a wide range
of disease including cases of cancer, tuberculosis, diseases of the eye, surgical
and medical conditions The Committee will realise that information we receive
is of course entirely confidential and we can only give to the Committee medical
details provided we have the authority of the person concerned. By and large we
have to confine ourselves to stating whether in our opinion the person is rightly
off duty, when he is likely to return and the extent to which in future he will
be able to carry out his duties. We have been aware, however, of the Staff
Committee s desire to treat sick members of the staff with every kindness and
consideration and this has made a somewhat difficult task easier and more pleasant.