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27
SECTION 21 - HEALTH CENTRES
M.T. FERNANDES, M.B., B.S., D.P.H., D.I.H., D.C.H., L.M.,
Deputy Medical Officer of Health
Since the last annual report a great deal of progress has been made
in finalising plans for some of our Health Centres, including the inviting
of tenders by the Borough Architect for the building of King George
Hospital Health Centre.
There were many meetings and discussions during the course of the
year with general practitioners, members of the Executive Council,
Department of Health and Social Security, and our own staff in various
departments concerned with the projects. There are four Health Centres
included within our revised 3-year programme for the years 1970-1973.
These are in addition to the Centre destined to be built near King George
Hospital. It is our hope that Health Centres will occupy a predominant
place in the National Health Service, whereby general practitioners and
local authority health services would be brought together.
This was the most important project of the year. I mentioned in my
report for 1963 that it is proposed to build this Centre on a leased site
within the grounds of King George Hospital between Perrymans Farm
Road and Buntingbridge Road, near the present Nurses' Home. A postgraduate
medical centre may be built nearby. Seven general practitioners
will practise from the Centre, which will serve a population of 20,000.
Negotiations for the leasing of the site have continued satisfactorily
during the year, and a cost limit for the building has been received from
the Department of Health and Social Security. Work on the site will commence
early in 1970 and the Centre should be open in the latter half of
1971. At a later stage consideration is to be given for the provision of
consulting room accommodation for use by post-graduate doctors training
to be general practitioners of the future, and space has been allocated
on the site for this possible.extension to the building.
This Health Centre will provide consulting suites for 6 general
practitioners in the Area. A local authority child health session at
present held in a church hall will be transferred to the new building, and
also certain sessions from the Wanstead Place Clinic. As previously
Progress in
in 1969
King George
Hospital
Health Centre
High Road,
Woodford,
Health Centre