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46
Discussions were held with the Peckham Health Centre Members' Association
with a view to the formation of a family club and the association of their activities
with the health and educational facilities.
Before the closure of the Pioneer Health Centre one of its chief objects was
research into human health and the biological observation of the family as a unit.
This research was largely supported by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust which was
latterly guided by a scientific advisory committee. In giving further consideration
to the formation of a medical research unit at the Queen's Road Centre, the
Council has had the benefit of the valuable advice of members of the former scientific
advisory committee. It is hoped to establish a medico-sociological research unit with
an independent governing body on which the Council would be represented. The
Council has no direct powers under the National Health Service Acts to carry out
the type of research contemplated, but it is hoped that funds will become available
from other sources. Details of the scheme were still under consideration at the end of
the year.
Future developments. In April, 1951, the Council reviewed the possibilities of
providing health centres following discussions with the Ministry of Health from which
it had become clear that under existing circumstances proposals for the erection of
general practitioner health centres would be considered only for areas where there was
exceptional urgency, e.g., in certain redevelopment areas where a considerable increase
in the population was imminent and general medical services would be needed in
excess of those already available. In general this would not apply to redevelopment
and reconstruction areas being planned in London, since in most cases the population
will tend to decrease slightly when rebuilding is completed, while other areas, where the
population will increase, are too small or too widely scattered to justify a substantial
increase in the general medical services.
It was understood that in cases of exceptional urgency it might be possible to
consider the building of maternity and child welfare and/or school health centres on
health centre sites as first instalments of health centres, or to undertake the adaptation
of existing buildings as comprehensive health centres if an immediate need for
maternity and child welfare, school health and general medical services were established.
With regard to group practices it was thought that the building or adaptation
of premises would be undertaken only where a group of general practitioners wished
to co-operate in such a scheme and existing general medical services in the district
were very inadequate.
Accordingly the Council decided that the planning of health centres should for
the time being be limited to:—
(i) The provision of a group practice at the Queen's Road Centre if a group
of doctors wished to practise there.
(ii) The reservation of suitable sites on housing estates, etc., where the
future provision of health centres would be difficult if this action were not
taken.
(iii) The building, in cases of exceptional urgency, of maternity and child
welfare centres and/or school health centres on health centre sites as first instalments
of health centres.
(iv) The provision of a limited number of premises for group practices as
first instalments of health centres or otherwise in areas where there is, or will be,
a deficiency in the general medical services.
Reservation
of sites for
health
centres
Reference was made in my report tor 1950, to the Council s decision that six
sites should be designated under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, for
acquisition and development as health centres. With the approval of the Executive