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Child Health Centres
Towards the end of 1967 the report on the sub-committee of the Standing
Medical Advisory Committee on Child Welfare Centres was published by the
Minister of Health. This thorough and valuable report represents the first ad hoc
review of the Child Health Service administered by local authorities. The report
makes a number of recommendations for improving the service, but firmly endorses
the basic principles of routine medical inspections and health education which have
been adhered to since the days of the pioneer child welfare centres.
Ministry of Health Circular 34/68 indicated that the Minister had considered
the Report in consultation with the local authority associations and professional
bodies concerned, and that he was in full agreement with the conclusions reached
in the Report that there was a continuing need for a preventive service to safeguard
the health of children, in which family doctors would play an increasing part. The
Circular stated that certain of the recommendations in the report had long-term
implications and would require further consideration (e.g. future medical staffing,
medical training, standardisation of records) but that the Minister wished particularly
to draw the Council's attention to those recommendations concerned with more
limited aspects of the local service.
The Report included a recommendation that the early detection of physical,
mental and emotional defects should be a major function of a modern preventive
health service for the child, but that more comprehensive assessment is a matter
for referral through the family doctor to the hospital service, and that hospital
authorities should be asked to review their present arrangements for comprehensive
assessment centres for handicapped children. In June, 1968, the Chief Medical
Officer of the Ministry of Health issued a circular enclosing a memorandum giving
advice on the setting up of such centres.
In December the Council considered the report in detail and while finding that
most of the recommendations were already being implemented in Enfield, made the
following decisions :
(a) The name of the Child Welfare Service to be changed to that of Child
Health Service.
(b) Routine dental examinations, as well as medical examinations, to be undertaken
so far as available staff will allow.
(c) To develop health education as an integral part of the Child Health Service.
(d) To make no change in the existing arrangements for the sale at clinics of
National Dried Milk and proprietary brands of infant foods.
(e) To continue discussions with local hospitals with a view to achieving closer
liaison between the welfare and other social services and to review the
position relating to assessment centres for handicapped children.
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