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42
Ambulance Services.
I am indebted to the County Medical Officer for the statistics relating
to the work carried out from the Ambulance Station, Auckland Road,
Leyton.
Foot Clinic.
The Foot Clinic at High Road Baths was opened in 1936 and since
that time has proved of inestimable value to persons suffering from foot
conditions. Originally there was one chiropodist; however, over the
years there is now an establishment of six. Following the opening of
the Essex County Health Services Clinic at Dawlish Road it was decided
to convert the dental workshop at these premises to a one-cubicle foot
clinic in order to serve the needs of patients in the Dawlish Road area
and to obviate undue travelling to High Road Baths. This experiment
had proved so worthwhile that it prompted me to make the following
observations to the Committee :
Patients and the Present Foot Clinic Facilities.
The High Road Baths Foot Clinic is very convenient of access from
most parts of the Area ; however, with the recent public service vehicles
fares increases, the travelling expenses of patients are heavy. The Public
Health Committee of the Borough Council and, since the "appointed
day," the Health Area Sub-Committee, have been cognisant of the lack
of foot clinic facilities in the eastern part of the Area.
In the case of patients attending the Dawlish Road Foot Clinic,
as they are all resident within a reasonable distance of the Clinic, there
is no expense of fares and appointments are kept to time. Patients who
live in the Cann Flail area have to pay as much as l/4d. in fares to
attend the Foot Clinic at High Road Baths. In the case of many of the
older patients an escort is necessary, so that the fares are doubled. There
is also the occasional delay in public transport which makes patients late
for appointments and thus defeats the objects of the appointment system.
General Observations.
There is no doubt that there are many advantages in having a
Foot Clinic in the Health Service clinics, viz.: (a) The medical and
nursing staff are able instantly to refer a child with foot conditions to
the chiropodists and discuss the matter with them; (b) The chiropodist
thus becomes an integral part of the Health Services team rather than
an isolated unit; (c) A great proportion of the patients at the Chiropody
Clinics are in the older age groups and the health visitor would have
further opportunities to get to know them.
Therefore, on the grounds of bringing the chiropody services nearer
to the patients' homes, and to make fuller and more economical use of
the Health Services Clinics in the area, I made the following recommendations
:—
(1) That the present Foot Clinic held at High Road Baths, be
closed and the staff distributed to the three Health Services
Clinics in the Area.
(2) That the accommodation at the Health Services Clinics be
re-allocated to make available sufficient room for the purpose.
These recommendations were approved by the Committee and early
in 1957 the Foot Clinics were so disposed.