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LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT
Brent House,
High Road,
Wembley.
July, 1966.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In presenting the first Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health to the London Borough of
Brent, historical considerations do not offer a field in which comment can be made, the period covered by this
Report indeed includes three months at the beginning of the calendar year when many of the services were
still with the original Boroughs or the County Council, and only the last nine months of the year relate to
the services when they were controlled by your Council. Pre-planning consequently was necessary to collect
material prior to the assumption of authority of the new Borough Council.
The preliminary months of the year were fully occupied and the senior staffs more than extended to
suggest establishments necessary for the whole of the Department, and the earlier months of the year also
barely left sufficient time for the assimilation of some 900 staff from the three authorities whose services were
to be merged and the recruitment of the staff from other London local authorities who could not be assimilated.
The delineation of divisions within the Department of Health and Welfare occupied much time and occasioned
considerable thought and research. The organisation of the various administrative sections to help in
management of the service was a tremendous task. All these most important organisational endeavours were
undertaken prior to March 1965 when the new Borough Council took office. Much of this work indeed was
accomplished by officers giving service to the Council beyond what can reasonably or normally be expected
from them and the thanks of the Council are due for this extraordinary and very onerous service.
During the transition periods, continuation of the services to residents was a prime duty of all grades
in the Department, and whilst some teething troubles were experienced and a certain lack of expertise might
have been evident occasionally, nevertheless the service to the public, even in the early stages of the transition,
did not suffer a deterioration. Clinical work during the change of administration and the relationships of the
staffs responsible for peripheral establishments with the central department were considerably altered and only
by goodwill and hard work on the part of the whole of the staff from top to bottom, was it possible to accomplish
a change with so little disorganisation and with such speed.
The Borough Council with foresight arranged for a central administrative building to be available
from which all the health services and the welfare services could be administered ; indeed, other departments
of the Council are also housed in the same block of offices and this has in no small way contributed
to the smooth reorganisation of service by personal contact of officers.
The move into these offices, indeed, was an operation of magnitude which will not readily be forgotten
by all the staff concerned.
The preparation of a Ten Year Plan, which local health and welfare authorities were first asked to
produce in 1962, came suddenly to the new London Borough in 1965 and involved all officers of senior grade
in a very substantial task. This was accomplished, it is true, rather later than the Ministry demanded but
nevertheless in time to be included in the White Paper on Development of Community Care which has now
been presented to Parliament. The changes in responsibility in Brent inevitably caused grave difficulties and
tremendous tasks for the new authority in making the plans which for Brent were not a revision but a new
beginning, and the results were such that a special tribute is paid in the White Paper to the energy and vision
of the contributing Local Authorities.
Assessing the relative priorities for Capital construction in the sphere of Welfare and Health occupied
the members of the Department and Committee substantially during the year. It is thought that the Ten Year
Plan represents a balanced programme of extension of services during the next decade having regard to the
requirements of the area and the finance which will probably be available. In forming this scheme the Committee
took into account the redevelopment in areas of the town which it is envisaged will occur during the ten
years, and made appropriate provision.
The integration of the services which had previously not been within the sphere of local administration,
the Mental Health Service and the welfare provisions entailed very much readjustment and mature
consideration. The services at the end of the year are working effectively in association with the Executive
Council and the hospital services. The most warm and cordial thanks are expressed to all members of the
Department of Health and Welfare for the enthusiastic and almost inspired application to duty during the
period of excitement when the services were first administered and during the period of plain hard work in
the inaugural months. Members of the Committee, particularly the Chairman, during the first year of working
have applied themselves with vigour and knowledge to the problems involved and have been a great source
of strength and inspiration during these difficult months.
This Report is not the work of an individual but has involved a very large number of members of the
staff in the preparation of this first Annual Report, which is an original document and for which no blue print
was available as a guide. My personal expression of appreciation is due to all members of the staff, particularly
on this occasion those who have assisted in the compilation of the Report.
I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
E. GRUNDY,
Medical Officer of Health.