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Stress was laid on the importance of early consultations with Executive Councils,
local professional committees, Regional Hospital Boards, Boards of Governors
and the Ministry in considering the provision of health centres, and it was hoped
that whenever doctors, dentists or pharmacists expressed a desire to practise from a
health centre, the local health authority would do all it could to meet their wishes.
The views of the general practitioners concerned on the design of the centre should
be taken into account, and their desires as regards private practice had to be considered.
A "Design Note" for the guidance of local health authorities was being
prepared.
A general review of plans for health centre provision in this borough was made
in association with the Executive Council who provided lists of doctors interested
in health centres, those requiring more data regarding health centres and those not
interested in health centres. This information together with information on the
future housing development in the borough was borne in mind when the Ten-Year
Development Plan was revised during the year when provision was made for a
total of 11 health centres to be built by 1977.
At present there are no health centres in the borough, but Ministry approval
was received in 1967 to provide one in Hertford Road and plans are nearing completion.
These plans included accommodation for a laboratory for the use of the
Public Health Laboratory Service Board. However, notification has recently been
received from the Public Health Laboratory Service that this accommodation will
not now be required. An alternative use for that part of the building the laboratory
service would have occupied has been found, in that the Welfare Department of
this council will use the accommodation as a social rehabilitation unit for blind
and physically handicapped persons.
There has been, to date, no demand for use of the dental suite by private
practitioners and it is proposed that the accommodation will be used alternatively
for family planning and cervical cytology services, speech therapy and by medical
specialists generally.
This part of the health centre will, however, be equipped with all necessary
services during building, in order that a dental service can be provided should the
need arise in future. It is hoped that construction of this centre will be started
in 1968.
A proposal to provide a health centre in the Old Road Development area,
which will replace the existing Green Street Clinic, is under consideration and has
been provisionally approved by the Ministry for 1968/9. Information relating to
other proposed health centres is given elsewhere in this report under the heading
44 Ten-Year Plan for Health Services
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