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Moatside, 86 Fulham High Street—Adaptation of this building, begun in 1953, was
completed and the premises brought into full use as an occupation centre for junior
mixed children.
St. Peter's Church Hall, Cranfield Road, Deptford—This centre was opened for junior Replacement
mixed children who were transferred from the Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way,
Lewisham. Use of the latter premises as an occupation centre was discontinued.
Hostel for mentally defective girls under guardianship
' Dover Lodge,' Wood Vale, Camberwell—Adaptation of an existing building as a hostel Work in
for girls placed under guardianship on leaving special schools for the educationally Pro8ress
sub.normal was well advanced at the end of the year.
School health service
Division 9—193 Mitcham Road, Wandsworth—Adaptation of these premises for use as a Works in
school treatment centre, speech therapy centre and health visitors' office was nearing progress
completion at the end of the year. This centre will replace the one formerly at 1071
Garratt Lane.
Office accommodation
The following changes in office accommodation were made during the year :
Division 4—Accommodation at Hackney Town Hall was vacated at the request of the
Hackney Metropolitan Borough Council and arrangements made for the staff to be
transferred to the Elsdale Road Welfare Centre.
Division 5—Office accommodation at Poplar Town Hall, rented from the Poplar
Metropolitan Borough Council, was relinquished and the staff transferred to temporary
accommodation at Wellington Way welfare centre.
Division 7—The health visitors at 1, 2 and 12 The Arcade, Catford, were transferred to
the Rushey Green day nursery and to the Shaftesbury House day nursery, Perry Rise.
Health centres
During the year the London Executive Council agreed to the Council's proposals for Reservation
the reservation of a further two sites for health centres. of sites
The view was expressed in the Report of the Committee on General Practice within Committee on
the National Health Service* that many of the advantages of health centres, both to general practice
doctors and to patients, might more easily be secured through the evolution of group
practices consisting of doctors who chose to work together in communal premises which
they themselves owned and the Committee welcomed the scheme approved by the
Minister of Health whereby interested general practitioners were invited through
Executive Councils to apply for interest free loans to help them to establish group
practice premises which would normally be regarded as permanent medical facilities.
Although not a substitute for comprehensive health centres, group practices may,
in many areas, prove to be a satisfactory alternative. While it will be some years before
sufficient group practices can be estabhshed to assess their value, their estabhshment in
any substantial number in London would have obvious repercussions on the Council's
policy for the provision of health centres to which reference was made in the Reports
for 1951 and 1953. It is, however, too early to consider any radical modification of this
policy in the light of the Report of the Committee on General Practice.
* Enclosed u/ith Ministry of Health Circular 17/54 (2281/6/5)
Acquisitions and leases
Opportunities were taken whenever possible to acquire suitable properties and sites
for health service purposes or to secure long term leasehold tenancies. The following
leasehold tenancy and acquisition were completed during the year :
Division Property Interest obtained Service
5 532.4 Commercial Road, Stepney Leasehold Divisional health sub.office
. Cromwell Lodge, 55 Cholmeley Freehold Hostel for tuberculous men
Park, Hornsey
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