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11
To:
THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF
THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present a report for the year 1968 on
the services administered by the Health and Welfare Department
of the London Borough of Bromley. This report is set out to the
requirements of Ministry of Health Circular 1/68 but members
will be aware that on the 1st November 1968 changes in the
Central Departments led to the amalgamation of the Ministry of
Health and the Ministry of Social Security to form a new Department
of Health and Social Security.
The Report of the Royal Commission on Medical Education
under its Chairman, the Rt. Hon. the Lord Todd, the Report of
the Seebohm Committee on Local Authority and Allied Personal
Social Services, and the first Green Paper on the Administrative
Structure of the Medical and Related Services contained proposals
for radical reorganisation of health and social services which,
directly and indirectly, have important future implications for the
services provided by this Authority, for the future training and
establishment of staff, and on schemes for staff attachment,
secondment and pooling of resources.
The Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968 in the main
by its amendment of the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation
Act, 1948 to eliminate unregistered minding for gain, of the
National Health Service Act to facilitate sharing of health visiting,
midwifery and nursing services, of the Public Health Act to
redefine notifiable diseases and food poisoning law, of the National
Health Service Act to make the Home Help Service mandatory
and to amend local authorities services under the National Assistance
Act, 1948 relating to voluntary residential accommodation
and welfare of old persons, has added considerably to the work
of the Department.
For these varied reasons, it has been necessary to curtail rather
than omit presentation of some sections of this Annual Report in
order to maintain a continuity that for comparative purposes is
essential.
On the other hand, the efficiency and interest of the Department
has been greatly stimulated by sharing with the Children's
Department the servicing of a joint Main Committee and by the
increased responsibilities implicit in the approved Scheme of
Delegation to Officers.
Statistics
It is still necessary to refer to statistical information that is
relatively limited in scope for use in outlining the health of the