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In the 1960's and 70's, with the radical improvement in child health, together with the
need for supportive services for an ageing population and the trends towards comprehensive health
screening activities, of which cervical cytology is only one example, the concept of the child
welfare centre as a separate entity no longer meets the needs of our community. The plan therefore
introduces a new concept: the family health clinic. It is envisaged that where comprehensive health
centre schemes are not actively supported by general practitioners or are impracticable for other
reasons, family health clinics will provide comprehensive services for the area they serve, such
as the full range of maternal and child care, with particular emphasis on the early detection and
support of physical, mental and social handicaps. Family planning services will be provided,
along with ante-natal and post-natal sessions, and there will be facilities for marriage guidance
and family guidance in general. School health services will be provided on the same premises for
the Inner London Education Authority on an agency basis, and health screening activities will be
carried out. The family health clinic will play an important role in preventive and supportive geriatrics,
with medical and chiropody sessions as needed.
Although the family health clinics will not be Health Centres within the meaning of the
National Health Service Act, 1946, they will be readily accessible to local practitioners who
appreciate the advantages of seeing certain types of patient with local health authority staff (such
as ante-natal consultations with the domiciliary midwife). The family health clinic will also form
the local base for local health authority staff, such as health visitors, social workers, midwives,
geriatric visitors, and district nurses, and will in this way form a focus for the support of the
family and the community.
DAY NURSERIES
The existing day nurseries and the scheme of admission thereto are as 'inherited' from
the former London County Council. Consideration has been given to the far ranging problem of the
day care of children in response to the Ministry Circular 5/65 and it is thought that priority of
admission to day nurseries should be extended to meet the needs of women at work, whose employment
is essential to the community, that the eligibility for part-time attendance of handicapped
children who are likely to benefit should be broadened to include a wider range of handicaps and
that the assessment scale should permit of greater flexibility by disregarding all or part of the
mother's earnings in the case of families suffering severe economic stress. More day nursery
accommodation will be provided.
MENTAL HEALTH
Comprehensive planning of psychiatric community services has been deferred pending the
appointment of the consultant referred to earlier.
A club for psychiatric patients has been established at Lyndhurst Hall, St. Pancras, and
further clubs will be established.
It is envisaged that although by co-operation with adjoining local authorities some hostels
would be on a shared user basis, it will be necessary to provide within the Borough a junior training
centre, special care units, an adult industrial centre, a rehabilitation centre, hostels and special
units at day nurseries. A boarding-out service for psychiatric patients will be introduced to supplement
hostel provision.
Transport for handicapped children attending special units and special care units will
be needed.
Counselling at special clinics in existing premises will be made available and social
clubs for educationally sub-normal school leavers, adult sub-normals and mentally ill persons set
up as opportunity affords. In association with day hospitals, support at out-patient clinics will
be developed and social workers will take part in discharge conferences at hospitals.
The provision of day centres may well have to be reviewed following the appointment of
the consultant psychiatrist.
Occupational therapy for the housebound and at centres for the mentally ill will be provided.
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