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10
PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
HEALTH CENTRE DEVELOPMENT
The Chalkhill Health Centre, the first to be provided by the Council, was handed over to the
Department by the Borough Architect's Department on 22nd September 1970. The Centre occupies the ground
floor of a block of flats in the Chalkhill Redevelopment Area, and is a few minutes walk from Wembley
Park Station and main bus routes. There are ten consulting and ten examination rooms for general practitioners;
two dental surgeries with dark room, workshop and separate waiting area; and accommodation for
the Council to provide clinic services. The final estimated cost, including building, fees, furniture and equipment
is £83,880.
The Department moved into the Centre on 22nd September followed 2 days later by the first general
practitioner. On the 25th September, the first patients attended the general practitioner's surgery and the local
authority's child welfare clinic. During the early part of October, 8 more general practitioners moved in and
vaccination and immunisation, ante-natal and birth control clinics organised by the Council commenced. A
morning cytology clinic commenced on 2nd December. His Worship the Mayor, Councillor D. Jackson.
officially opened the Centre on 5th December.
With the opening of the Centre, Church Lane Clinic was closed and the premises handed back to
the Education Department.
It is anticipated that a tenth general practitioner and a private dental surgeon will move in during
the early part of 1971. A Mothers' Club and an evening cytology clinic are planned to commence in January
1971, speech therapy and chiropody clinics in May 1971 and the local authority dental service in June.
Dr. Michael Arnold, Chairman of the Management Committee, has very kindly provided the
following report:—
"About 6 years ago, following discussions between general practitioners in the Wembley Park area,
the Health and Welfare Department, the Ministry of Health and the Middlesex Executive Council, a steering
committee was set up to consider the possibility of a combined general practitioner/local authority health
centre in the Chalkhill/Wembley Park area.
At the end of September the first general practitioner moved into the Chalkhill Health Centre,
together with other health workers. This was quickly followed by the inclusion of 8 more general practitioners
from the immediate area. This move necessitated the maintenance of the doctors' previous practice commitments
in a new setting, and the inclusion of certain new patients from the area of the Chalkhill Estate.
Overnight patients and doctors, hitherto used to the familiar surroundings of individual surgeries, found
themselves dealing with a new, interesting and initially strange, sometimes puzzling, environment.
We have now had several months to settle in and appraise the new situation. While this Centre
can be regarded as in the vanguard of British health centre progress, within a few years such establishments
will become quite common throughout the country.
What do patients feel? Are the doctors and medical staff happy in this new environment? Although
some patients had difficulties initially, it is becoming clear that there are distinct advantages:—
1. A modern Centre with pleasant, comfortable surroundings and better waiting facilities;
2. A considerably shorter waiting period due to an appointments system, a situation which we hope
will continue to improve;
3. A wider range of available services under the one roof, which will continue to expand as time
goes by;
4. The waiting area incorporates a children's playroom and pram shelter.
Considerable organisational problems have had to be overcome and there have been the usual
structural difficulties that one would expect in a new building, but these are being dealt with. From the
doctors' point of view the surroundings are more comfortable and the appointments system makes for more
organised and predetermined work. The telephone system is good and the question of property maintenance,
staffing, cleaning, etc., is handled to a considerable extent by the Borough.
The presence of health visitors, ancillary local authority clinics and those who run them, makes
certain services more accessible to the general practitioner and there is no doubt that working in closer
liaison with one's colleagues has created an added value and interest.
Some may feel that there is the danger of an erosion of the personal side of the doctor/patient
relationship in the operation of a health centre. However, this has been borne very much in mind and,
except for holidays and emergency situations, we hope that patients who have been used to seeing their own
doctor will continue to do so at the Centre, as hitherto."
The building of the Craven Park Health Centre continued and the expected date of completion is
July 1971. It is similar to Chalkhill in that it also occupies the ground floor of a block of flats in the
Stonebridge Redevelopment Area. There will also be accommodation for 9 general practitioners and the
Council's personal health services, but there will be 4 dental surgeries (2 for private dental surgeons and 2
for local authority dental surgeons) and 2 other surgeries which will normally be used by a dental hygienist
and a dental auxiliary.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act 1946, it is the duty of the local health
authority to make arrangements for the care, including dental care, of expectant and nursing mothers and
of children under 5 years of age who are not attending primary schools maintained by the local education
authority.