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page 34
with the newly formed Local Executive Council, and in the case of the
Manor and Bifrons clinics these are health centres in name only.
A true health centre provides under one roof facilities for the
patient to consult family doctor, health visitors, other members of the
local authority team and, where necessary, hospital specialists. A
consideration of the development of the services in Barking will show
how near you came to this ideal prior to the introduction of the National
Health Service.
A quarter of a century ago there were three clinics at liarking—
Alexandra, Greatfields and East Street, whilst a classroom at Faircross
Special School was used for ultra-violet ray treatment.
The Alexandra clinic, housed in a temporary building, had limited
facilities and was used for infant welfare and ante-natal sessions until
its demolition in 1939. Greatfields Clinic, in a more permane building,
is still being used although likewise for maternity and cl id welfare
services only.
East Street was the major clinic of the town and provide services
for mothers, infants, and school children, including dental treatment
and specialist eye services. It is interesting to read that at that time
"by instruction of the Board of Education, the following scale of
charges has been made:—
(a) Spectacles 2s. 9d. per pair
(b) Tonsils and Adenoids operations 5s. per operation
(c) X-ray treatment No charge
(d) Minor Ailments Is. per 3 months, after 14 days free treatment
(e) Dentistry 6d. per extraction, and ls fillings or w ing
(f) Orthopaedic treatment No charge
Free medical treatment will continue to be given where parents
cannot afford to pay."
Although most of these services were transferred frc a East Stree
to the newly erected Central Clinic in 1934, the buildii gs have been
used for one purpose and another ever since. Part was used for health
visitors offices, and dental services continued in the remaining portion
of the building until the onset of war. It was then used to house the
first public foot clinic until more spacious accommodation could be
provided, since when it has been re-equipped as a dentai surgery.
Following closely on the erection of Central Clinic, new buildswere
opened in Woodward Road in 1935 to serve the rapidly expanding