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11
HEALTH EDUCATION
The Health Department's role in Local Authority Services is in preventive medicine. Health Education
is a key role in preventive medicine.
Every member of the Health Department's staff, or indeed, clerical staff answering questions, dealing
with queries, is in effect a health educator. Doctors, midwives, home nurses, dentists, therapists, chiropodists,
all carry out health education in their professional duties, but the Health Visitor must, by the nature of her
work and contacts carry the largest load.
Talks in Schools and to other groups, both inside and outside the Clinics are given in the main by
Health Visitors, with the Dental Auxiliary also holding many educational sessions. Twenty-nine schools
requested talks in 1972, and 205 talks were given on health and related subjects. Eighty-seven talks were given
to adult lay audiences.
In Clinics, mothercraft sessions were well attended and 408 talks were given in these sessions. Five
Mothers' Clubs were held in the Borough and many demonstrations were given by outside lecturers, as well
as Health staff.
Campaigns were conducted to advertise the provision of free birth control advice in Brent and the
visits of the mobile Mass X-Ray Unit to sites in the Wembley area of the Borough.
Central Middlesex Hospital continues to co-operate in the anti-smoking campaign and posters were
changed regularly throughout the hospital buildings.
Very good attendances were recorded at the "Welcome to Citizenship" Exhibiton and "Doubts for
New Voters". This exhibition is always of great satisfaction to all participants as evidenced by the questions
and interest of the young people.
Many programmes of practical visits were arranged for doctors, medical students and others wishing
to learn about Brent Health and related services.
Posters and leaflets were circulated and supplied freely to Services throughout the Borough, as well
as through our own establishments, and many requests for material and visual aids were received from Group
Leaders, lecturers and individual enquirers. Personal callers have always been welcome, but difficulties have
been encountered when appointments are not made, owing to shortage of staff. This is bound to improve with
the additional staff, budget and facilities promised for the future.
MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS AND MEDICAL REPORTS
New entrants to the Council's service are requested to complete a medical assessment form. The
forms are scrutinised by an assessing Medical Officer and if considered necessary further information is obtained
from the entrant's general practitioner or a hospital, and/or medical examination carried out. During the year
2,546 assessments were dealt with. Further information was obtained from general practitioners, hospitals and
Chest Clinics in a number of cases.
Twenty-nine medical examinations were carried out on behalf of other local authorities. Five medical
examinations were carried out on behalf of other Departments of the Council where the Chief Officer considered
it necessary before granting an extension of service or entrance into the Superannuation Fund. Five members
of the staff were recommended for retirement on the grounds of permanent ill health.
It is a requirement of the Department of Education and Science that all teachers on their first
appointment, and applicants for entry to Teacher Training Colleges, be medically examined. 220 teachers and
280 trainees were examined by Medical Officers in the Department.
TRAINING
Details of the training undertaken by the nursing staff are contained in the Sections of the Report
dealing with "Midwifery", "Home Nursing" and "Health Visiting". The training undertaken by the remainder
of the staff is summarised below. The number of officers attending is shown in brackets after each course.
Principal and Senior Medical Officers
National Association for Mental Health Refresher Course—5 days(l); Discussion Group Meeting on
Drug Dependency—1 day (1); Griffiths Extension Course, 2-8 years—2 days (1); Mental Handicap—Play and
Toys—1 day (1); Joint Meetings of the British Society of Audiology and the Society of Audiolgy Technicians
—1 day (1); Study Day in Paediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine—1 day (2); Cerebral Palsy and
Allied Problems—5 days (1); The Assessment and Education of Severely Handicapped Children and Young
Adults—5 days (1); Symposium on Content of Education for the Pre-school Mentally Handicapped Child—
1 day (1); Society of Medical Officers of Health Refresher Course—5 days (1).
Medical Officers in Department
Family Planning Training Course (Practical)—6 x 2 hour sessions (1); Family Planning Training
Course—3 days (2); Study Day on Yam Tomorrow—1 day (1); Study Day on Developmental Paediatrics—1
day (3); Mentally Subnormal Children—4 weeks (1); Paediatrics—2 days (3); Venereal Infection—1 day (1).
Dental Staff
Postgraduate Course in Oral Surgery—5 days (1); Training Course for N.H.S. Re-organisation—3
weeks (1); Refresher Course for Dental Officers—4 days (2); Preventive Dentistry—2 days (1); Training Course
for Dental Auxiliaries—1 day (1); Scientific Meeting for Dental Auxiliaries—1 day (1).
Medical Auxiliaries
Paediatric Physiotherapy—3 days (1); Symposium for Speech Therapists on Severe Subnormality—1
day (2); Early Development—Normal and Abnormal—1 day per week for 4 weeks (7); The use of Speech
Therapy in the Management of Hearing Impairment—1 day (5).
Administrative and Clerical Officers
Summer School—4 days(l); Office Management—5 days (1); Ordinary National Certificate in Public
Administration—day release (3); Local Government Examination Board—day release (1).