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6
Personal Health Services
The re-equipment of the midwifery service with gas/oxygen machines
was completed. Plans to establish a mobile radio telephony service for
them were deferred for financial reasons. There were minor developments
of additional toddlers' sessions at child health centres, but this programme
was also curtailed to effect economies. Health visitor training
commenced at the Croydon Technical College, and proved of benefit
both by the stimulus of receiving an increased number of students for
practical work, and for the added opportunity of seconding recruits for
future employment in Croydon. The Queen's Institute for District Nursing
announced their intention to cease training, and discussions about a
course at the Croydon Technical College were initiated.
More requests were received from family doctors for the attachment to
their practices of health visitors, district nurses and midwives. These requests
were met as rapidly as staffing shortages allowed. The proposal to
rent accommodation in the Corporation's Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic
at New Addington to family doctors was changed because applications for
accommodation from additional partnerships could be met only by extending
the premises. It became necessary to treat the scheme as the provision of
a health centre, and appropriate steps were taken. A possible site and
draft plans were submitted for the health centre requested by family doctors
in the South Norwood area, and with the New Addington scheme await indication
from the Ministry of Health of possible dates of approval of loan
sanction for these capital projects.,
There were notable developments in the niental health programme, particularly
the opening of "Waylands", a combined centre for physically and
mentally handicapped adults. The mental health wing of the building is in
effect an adult training centre with 100 places. It shares with a wing of
similar size for the physically handicapped, common, dining, recreational
and administrative accommodation. This was a somewhat controversial
project which began a successful year of operation in January, and so far
nothing has arisen to offset the manifest advantages of a large unit providing
facilities above the standard possible for smaller schemes. Especially
as a social centre and meeting place for all groups of handicapped
persons, it provides a proper building for both statutory and voluntary
organisations, serving a population of just under V3rd of a million persons.
The Ministry of Labour approved the setting up of the first local
authority assessment and rehabilitation centre for mentally disordered
patients. Its successful working during 1967 is described byMr.K.G.Morley,
Organiser Manager in the Health Department for industrial rehabilitation,
was appointed a member of the Central Training Council for Teachers of
the Mentally Handicapped.