View report page

7
The acquisition of property in Bisterne Avenue for the purpose
of giving the elderly a short stay in delightful surroundings is a
unique venture. It will fill an essential gap in our services for
the aged and will encourage and enable many more families to maintain
their elderly parents in their own homes.
The care of the elderly and the prevention of developmental
deformities and neo-natal death are two of the great and growing
problems of this decade. Much has already been done in both these
fields; our services for the elderly were generally reviewed in the
1961 report and as an instance of the improved ante-natal care
available to expectant mothers it is notable that this year only
three medical aid notices were issued by midwives attending a
confinement compared with 200 annually twenty years ago. It is rare
nowadays for an expectant mother not to be adequately supervised
throughout her pregnancy and confined either by her own doctor or
by a general practitioner obstetrician nominated by him, hence the
diminished use made of the scheme whereby the Local Authority were
empowered (in 1946) to pay a fee to any doctor summoned by one of
their midwives in an emergency.
I wish to record my thanks to the Chairman, Vice-chairman and
Members of the Health and Area Health Committees for their continued
understanding, also to my Chief Officer colleagues and my staff for
their ever ready co-operation and help.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient Servant,
M. WATKINS
Medical Officer of Health.