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11
maternity and child welfare and the education district, on the one hand,
from the Children's department on the other. It is not often that we regard
the London County Council services as superior to Essex but even in the
London County Council the health divisions and the Children's department
areas coincide.
To come nearer home, it is now a good few years since eyebrows were
gently raised when I asked that all medical priorities for rehousing should
be vetted by myself after consultation with the family doctor. It was
humorously hinted that the "Doc" was "moving in" when my representative
regularly attended the Housing Committee. Now the medical priorities
for rehousing come to me in increasing numbers and I am criticised if not
represented at the Housing Committee.
With respect to the Education Department, as one of my statutory
appointments is Divisional School Medical Officer, there is no need for me
to declare an interest and the need for co-operation is accepted and is continuous.
In view of past history it is very strange that the local general practitioners
are not worried about coming under the supervision of the medical
officer of health and local authority. This exception is even more remarkable
when it is noted that I have been in the past, chairman of the local
medical society longer than anyone else. Perhaps this lack of concern is
because the College of General Practitioners have developed their own
plans (quite impracticable ones to my view) for reversing the process and
taking over the medical officer of health (in a very friendly fashion and to
the latter's financial advantage).
To conclude, now that the air is thick with rumours of "take-overs
1 must formally declare that I have no present intention of taking over the
hospital service, general practitioner service, County Welfare Department,
Children's Department, Housing Department and Education Department.
My present activities are devoted to maintaining good co-operation where
it exists and improving it where there is room for such improvement.
Increased liaison in itself will reduce any demand for unified control of
the medical and associated services.
Acknowledgements.
Once again I must thank my staff for their unstinted co-operation, the
Voluntary Societies in the town, whom I cannot mention individually each
year, for their great help, and the Chief Officers of the Borough for their
friendly assistance.
I would like to express my thanks to the members of the Council,
especially to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Members of the Committees
of the Ilford Borough Council and Essex County Council with whom I work.
I have the honour to be
Your obedient Servant,
I. GORDON,
Medical Officer of Health.
* N.B.:—This refers to a district medical officer of health.