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The Act transfers these functions from such of the present
"Minor" Authorities—the non-county boroughs and the district
councils—as are at present exercising' them. But, for coordination
with the school health services, provision is made for
delegating child welfare to "district executives" in the same
way—and with the same rights for the minor authorities—as is
done for the school health service under the Education Act, 1944.
The same authorities—county and county borough councils
—are also made the supervising authorities for the purposes of the
existing Midwives' Acts; that is to say, they are made responsible
for a complete midwifery service for mothers who are confined at
home.
Mothers who for any reason have their confinements in a
hospital or maternity home will be in the care of the hospital and
specialist service. It will also be the object of that service to
provide locally for all specialist obstetric or gynaecological care
which may be needed in relation to the ordinary domiciliary
service of the local authority. The requirements of Ministerial
approval to the local authority's arrangements will link together
the two aspects of the maternity service—domiciliary and
institutional.
(b) Health Visiting and Home Nursing.
It is made the duty of the local health authority to provide
for a full health visitor service for all in their area who are sick,
or expectant mothers, or those with the care of young children.
This widens the present conception of health visiting (as concerned
with mother sand children) into a more general service of advice
to households where there is sickness or where help of a preventive
character may be needed.
It is also made the duty of the local health authority to provide
a home nursing service for those who—for good reason—need nursing
in their own homes.
In both of these activities the local authority can, if it likes and
if the Minister approves, make all or part of its provision by
arrangement with voluntary organisations to act on its behalf.
General Observations.
It would be idle to expect that such a fundamental and farreaching
change in medical and allied services could take place
without some dislocation of existing arrangements, and without
the appearance of certain difficulties which had not been foreseen