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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES SECTION
In a Borough the size of Havering, covering nearly 30,000
acres and measuring at its longest points some 10 miles by 8
miles, considerable difficulties would be experienced by members
of the public requiring the services administered by the Department
were it necessary for all enquiries to be made at the Central
Offices in Hornchurch. Since 1965 therefore the clerical staff at
the Health Centre at Harold Hill and at each of the nine purposebuilt
Health Services Clinics have been required to provide
information and to deal with all routine requests for services
in the immediate area they serve. Apart from the Health Visitors,
who were already based on these premises, Midwiyes, Home
Nurses and other members of the field staff have been allocated
to the clinic serving their area and all messages sent to them
via the clinic clerks. In addition, applications and enquiries for
many other services provided by the Department, including
services for the elderly, the issue of small items of sick room
equipment, etc. are also handled at these centres. Alterations
which have been carried out in recent years at several of the
clinics have included the provision of improved accommodation
for these purposes.
During 1969 arrangements were entered into for accommodation
to be available for a Probation Officer at the Health Centre
at Harold Hill and at the end of the year plans were well in hand
for social workers, mental welfare officers and child care officers
also to be accommodated at this Centre, thus providing a
combined team of child care, social work and health service
personnel to serve the surrounding estate. Lack of accommodation
in the clinics has prevented similar combined teams being
planned elsewhere. It now appears, however, that the Seebohm
proposals recommending a separate Social Services Department
and also the suggestions proposed for the transfer of the health
services from local Authorities to area Boards, tend to make
any further schemes for similar co-ordination of health and social
workers in Units, a matter of uncertainty at present.
MATERNITY SERVICES
The Rush Green Hospital Maternity Liaison Committee,
upon which consultants and midwives, general practitioners and
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