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7
eight years. As was to be expected in a reorganisation of medical
services of such magnitude, weaknesses in the administrative structure
have become apparent with the passage of time. Whilst it may well be
that the time is not yet opportune for major alterations in the service,
the view is widely held that some relatively minor but important changes,
which are obviously necessary, should be made without undue delay.
When the Act came into operation in 1948 a number of local authorities,
the Metropolitan Boroughs included, lost to the County Councils the
Maternity and Child Welfare Services which they themselves had, over the
years, fostered and developed. This compulsory transfer of health
functions was considered by the non-county authorities concerned to be a
retrograde step, and not in the best interests of the community: these
authorities then felt, and still feel, that as these services are provided
for local residents, their administration should be in the hands
of the locally elected representatives of the people who are unquestionably
in a far better position to assess the needs of the persons they
represent than a relatively remote authority such as the County Council.
Many months ago agreement was reached between the London County
Council, in its capacity as local health authority under the National
Health Service Acts, and the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint
Committee, representing the Metropolitan, City and Borough Councils,
that the appropriate Ministries be recommended to take the necessary
steps to restore to the Metropolitan Boroughs the personal health
services which were transferred to the County Council in 1948. It
appears that no definite action has been taken in Whitehall to put this
recommendation into effect. Opposition to the agreed proposals has
been voiced in certain quarters, but it is felt that the grounds for
this opposition are not reasonable and could not be justified.
It is earnestly to be hoped that an early decision will be made to
put into operation the wishes of the elected representatives of the
people of London. The Metropolitan, City and Borough Councils are
unquestionably appropriate authorities with the necessary resources,
financial and otherwise, to provide a service of the highest order, The
restoration of the personal health services to the Boroughs would provide
an additional stimulus to Borough Council Members and to their
Officers, and would widen the scope of, and increase interest in local
government in London,
At the present time there is much discussion in local and central
government quarters on areas and status of local authorities and of
their functions, and it is generally agreed that reorganisation of local
government areas over the Country as a whole is long overdue. The
unusual and complicated system of local government in London is very
different from that in other parts of the Country, and it will need
special consideration in its widest possible aspects. Any review of
London's special problems, if and when it does take place, is likely to
be a very lengthy process, but this must, however, not be taken as an
excuse for inaction at the present time and it certainly is not a valid
reason for deferment of the restoration of the personal health services
to the Metropolitan Boroughs.
Once again the compilation of an Annual Report presents me with the
opportunity of acknowledging the help and co operation the staff of this
department continues to receive from the many individuals and organisations
whom we meet in our daily work, The medical practitioners in
general practice in the borough again gave us their whole hearted cooperation,
as also did the professional and administrative staffs of the
local hospitals, Our relationship with the Divisional Medical Officer