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of these groups is quite apparent and fulfils a longfelt need. It gives a chance for Medical Officers
to observe or have the child observed by a trained person, prior to giving their views about
any handicap.
School Health Service
The Education (Milk) Act of 1971 was enacted during the year. Perhaps it suffices to
say, whatever the arguments for and against, that a very large amount of time has been spent
by departmental staff to ensure that no child who would benefit medically from the provision
of milk was deprived of it. This has absorbed not only administrative and nursing, but also
medical resources which are in very short supply. A continuing surveillance will be necessary
not only to ensure that children are regularly examined to see whether they still require milk
but also to assess any possible long term effect for good or ill.
The Department has given considerable attention during the year to ensuring that the
diagnosis and assessment of handicaps is made at a very early stage, and, in view of limited
available resources, the "At Risk" Register was carefully reviewed and perfected. This has enabled
the doctors to focus their attention and skills on children in most need, and efforts were made
to provide in-service training facilities for Medical Officers and General Practitioners in this most
important field of preventive medicine.
Considerable efforts were expended in keeping communicable diseases under control and
the general trend has continued in a downward direction. The continual sporadic cases of food
poisoning cause some concern, particularly as so many of them are not diagnosed early enough
to take effective remedial action.
Cervical cytology clinics have been expanded into "Well Women" clinics and from the report
on this section of the work of the department, one of the facts highlighted is the large amount
of possibly undetected gynaecological disease in the general community.
One of the most important tasks of the Department this year has been a re-appraisal of
the objectives of the Department, involving the various professional disciplines, evaluating what
is being done and gradually producing plans for the future. High on the priority list was the
need to determine readiness by which General Practitioners might become interested in Health
Centres. There already appears to be a considerable change in attitude and a gradual expansion
of this programme will be seen to be fully justified.
Recruitment of the more senior members of the staff has not been very easy, especially
in the medical field, but at least a positive approach to the necessary commitments of the
Department will, I hope, encourage new recruits to come to Bexley or deter existing staff from
seeking new positions, except in the case of promotion.
Once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all members of the Council and
particularly the Chairman and members of the Health and Education Committees : to a wide
range of colleagues in all branches of the Health Service and in the various departments of
the Council, as well as all voluntary workers. Without their co-operation and helpfulness, effective
provision of services to the public would have been much more difficult.
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