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30
Long-term
plan
The above measures were designed as a short-term plan to meet the immediate
improvements possible in the circumstances, and to take steps to continue the
existing services. In order to place the services on a firm basis in properly designed
buildings, it was apparent that a radical replanning both of the location of the centres
and the type of building required would be necessary, but that, in view of the magnitude
of the task, its implementation would take many years even when limitations on
the use of labour and materials were removed.
It was decided that the health centres to be provided in London should be
comprehensive and should include, and replace where unsatisfactory, both the
maternity and child welfare centres and the school treatment centres. The opportunity
was also presented of resiting the centres in future in accordance with probable
needs and housing developments.
A plan was accordingly drawn up in outline to divide the County into 162 health
service areas formed by grouping together proposed neighbourhood units in the
development plan being prepared under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947.
It is intended that ultimately each health service area should contain a population of
approximately 20,000 and be served by a comprehensive health centre and, in some
areas, by sub-centres as well. Work on this long-term plan is continuing in more
detail, keeping it in step with Town Planning developments.
First health
centres
As the provision of 162 health centres will take many years, they will have to be
provided in instalments. Under the "proposals" provision was made for one
specially designed health centre at Woodberry Down, Stoke Newington, nine health
centres (one in each division) by the acquisition and conversion of existing buildings
and, as a transitional stage in the provision of health centres, the acquisition and
conversion of a number of premises for group practice by general practitioners.
By the end of the year the final plans had been prepared for the comprehensive health
centre at Woodberry Down and the approval of the Ministry of Health to the plans
was awaited. Work on the centre commenced in March. 1949.
Divisional
Committees
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Administration
As envisaged in the "proposals" submitted to the Minister of Health, the dayto-day
administration of the services for which the Council is responsible under
Section 22 of the National Health Service Act, has been delegated to nine Divisional
Health Committees. The members of these Committees are appointed partly by the
Council's Health Committee and partly by the Councils of the metropolitan boroughs
comprising the division. Provision is made for co-option of representatives of local
organisations concerned in the preservation of health including a doctor, a dentist,
and a nurse or midwife or pharmacist. Periodical reports are submitted to the
Health Committee.
Medical Staff
The Council's divisional health organisation commenced operation on 5th July,
1948, with a medical officer of high standing (designated "divisional medical officer")
as the senior administrative officer in charge of each of the nine divisions. Divisional
medical officers are responsible for co-ordination of all the personal health services in
a division, although not all these services were operated on a local basis as from the
appointed day. The transfer of medical staff from the Borough Councils and the
recruitment of additional staff has proceeded smoothly, and, as far as possible, there
has been specialisation (i.e., ante- and post-natal or infant welfare work). Enquiries
of the Boards of Governors of the teaching hospitals showed that for various reasons
not all of them were able to co-operate in the initial stages of the plan under which
medical staff employed by the Council might obtain experience in the maternity or
paediatric departments of the hospitals, and hospital medical staff should similarly