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9
be saved by passing the clerical work on to professional personnel, such as
Public Health Inspectors. The review was, of course, confined to services
provided by the borough council; it is interesting to speculate as to what
sort of a report would have ensued had the consultants been enpowered to
study the effect of running two separate establishments, County and
Borough, to cover the health services of the town.
Accommodation.
Work has commenced and should be completed this year, on two new
health services clinics. When they are opened the Public Health Offices
will only be concerned with administration, and clinic accommodation in
the town will be vastly improved. Clinic accommodation is a " feature "
in which hitherto we have lagged sadly behind our neighbours. The two
clinics, plus new accommodation at Newbury Hall, will also provide peripheral
stations for Health Visitors, who will thus have their offices nearer
their districts.
Report on the Maternity Services (Cranbrook Committee).
This Committee did not recommend any drastic alteration in the
Maternity Services in the country, but as far as local authority services are
concerned, suggested a scheme not much different from that which has been
in operation in Ilford for many years.
The Cranbrook report also recommends that the experience of local
authorities in the provision of health education should be made available
to hospitals and general practitioners. Accordingly, Ilford Health Area
have appointed a doctor who, in addition to his usual duties as an assistant
county medical officer, will be trained in modern methods of health education.
so that his services may be made available, on request, to other
sections of the medical profession in the town.
Our main difficulty in Ilford is the shortage of domiciliary midwives,
which shortage may possibly lead to a severe curtailment of services which
could be disastrous. The Borough Council do help in providing prompt
and suitable accommodation for midwives who wish to work in the area.
A notable venture will occur in the autumn. The Ilford Medical Society
will arrange locally a discussion on the Cranbrook report. National leaders
of the three sections of the medical profession (hospitals, general practitioners
and local authorities) will take part in the discussion and Lord
Cranbrook will be present as Chairman.
Hospital Services.
Attention is drawn to the report given by the Secretary of the Ilford
and Barking Hospital Management Committee on the agreed expansion of
hospital services in the group. This is the culmination of a long struggle
by interested people in all sections of the community, including the Borough
Council. A completely new hospital will not be provided, but it is the
next best.
Community Physician or "Take-Over Ogre."
"A medical officer of health* shall inform himself as far as
practicable respecting all matters affecting or likely to affect the public
health in the district and be prepared to advise the local authority on any
such matters." So instructs the Minister of Health in the Public Health
Officers Regulations, 1959, and in preceding regulations. The implication
of this is that the medical officer of health is the community physician for
the area for which he is appointed. Unlike hospital doctors and general
practitioners his main (but not sole) duty is towards groups and not
individuals, but nevertheless this duty is medical and not administrative.
Like the family doctor, and the regimental medical officer in the army, he