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49
A fuller description of the building and services is contained in the descriptive
brochure* published by the Council.
The following units are provided :
General Medical and Dental Practitioners Unit.—This has six suites of rooms for medical
practitioners. Each suite comprises a waiting room, consulting room, examination room
and dressing cubicle. Night duty accommodation and an operating theatre, clinical side
room, specialists' consulting suite, common rooms, etc. are provided on the first floor.
Two dental suites and a dental workshop are provided for general dental services and
X-ray facilities are available.
School Health Unit.—This includes a minor ailment treatment room, doctor's consulting
room, two dental surgeries (one used also for nursing and expectant mothers),
an eye room and orthoptic room.
Child Welfare Unit.
Ante-natal Unit.
Child Guidance Unit.—A playroom and rooms for a psychiatrist, psychiatric social
worker and an educational psychologist are available.
Foot Clinic.—This clinic was transferred to the centre from anotherpartof thedivision.
Remedial Exercise and Light Clinic.—Remedial exercises will be provided for both
school children and expectant mothers.
Other Accommodation.—Staff rooms and refreshment rooms are available and sanitary
accommodation for all units is provided. There is a caretaker's flat on the second floor
and garage accommodation for general practitioners. Central heating is provided by
a low pressure hot water system working at low temperature vario-statically controlled
to maintain an equable temperature irrespective of outside temperature changes.
Day Nursery.—A day nursery for 45 children is on the same site, and shares the
engineering services.
Staffing.—Specialist services are provided by the North-East Metropolitan Regional
Hospital Board. The appointment of general practitioners and dental surgeons for the
general dental services will be made by the London Executive Council. The general
medical and dental services had not been started at the end of the year.
Equipment.—Equipment and furniture of modern design was provided throughout
the centre in keeping with the general design and decorative treatment.
Future
developments
The Woodberry Down Health Centre was the first full scale comprehensive healtr
centre to be authorised by the Minister of Health, and the experience gained from it:
use will be valuable and have a considerable influence on future health centre developments.
It appears likely, however, that in existing circumstances the building of comprehensive
health centres will not take place for many years in sufficient numbers to provide
the improvements to the standards of the maternity and child welfare clinic accommodation
which are much needed in many areas in London, or to provide clinics on new
housing estates. Although these improvements should not be deferred until health centres
can be built, it would be inappropriate to build maternity and child welfare clinics on
the old pattern which could not be incorporated into health centres in due course.
Accordingly where there is an urgent need for a new clinic and a suitable site can be
obtained for a health centre, plans will be prepared to erect a maternity and child welfare
centre as a first instalment of a health centre.
Reservation
of sites
During the year the London Executive Council agreed to the Council's proposals
for the reservation of a further nine sites for health centres.
* No. 3784, price 6d.