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hospital bed expenses, maternity allowances, etc., where a woman who wants to
plan her family is firmly established on a sound method of family planning.
The saving in terms of reduced distress and an increase in human happiness
cannot be estimated in money but is undoubtedly of greater importance.
During the year meetings were held between members of the Department and
family doctors with a view to formulating a scheme of attachment of district
nurses to general practitioners. As a result of these discussions a pilot
scheme of attachment to seven doctors was initiated. Even by the end of the
year it was obvious that the scheme was proving a success.
Immunisation against various diseases was carried out throughout the year.
A recommendation was given by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
on a time schedule for the various immunisation procedures. This was adopted
with some modification to fit in with the rather peculiar needs of London where
there tends to be a more ready movement of population between one Borough and
another than in the rest of the country. In accordance with the suggestions
of the Department of Health and Social Security there was an extended programme
of protection against measles carried out in the months of May, June, July and
August. This was carried out in these months in the hope of reducing the
scale of any epidemic which according to the pattern of previous years might
have been expected in the Autumn. The vaccinations were carried out in the
child health centres, schools and day nurseries, and also to those under school
age in the Council's residential homes. Vaccine was made available to any
general practitioner wishing to use it. In anticipation of an epidemic of
influenza, arrangements were being made at the end of the year to vaccinate
against influenza sections of the community, e.g., the elderly and people with
serious diseases, as well as certain priority groups amongst the Council's
staff. This was done in early 1969, but either because of vaccination or for
other reasons, the epidemic never materialized in this country.
In spite of much hard work by the officers of the Health Department and
the Department of Architecture and Planning, the Council's Health Centre
programme showed little in the way of actual progress during the year.
However, there is undoubtedly a "new look" in respect of health centres and
many general practitioners now show a great deal of interest in the possible
future development of health centres. By the end of the year there were at
least six Centres under active consideration.
A Smokers' Advisory Clinic was set up experimentally during the year.
In spite of reasonable publicity from the Press and radio, the experiment is
not proving an unqualified success although a number of people continue to
attend in an attempt to stop or restrict their smoking.
It is perhaps not generally realized how much the Department assists
individuals in very personal needs to improve their health or to make life
possible and bearable. One such instance is the help given in the provision
of artificial kidney machines, although this is a service only rarely
required, the Department has given help to individuals for the installation of
kidney machines in their own homes. The work is a good example of liaison
between the hospital service and the local health authority; the hospital
providing the machine and the Health Department giving advice on the necessary
adaptations and bearing the cost of these adaptations.
The Department's mental health services continued as in previous years,
the demands on the service continued to grow, and during the year active
steps were being taken to purchase and adapt the Territorial Army Centre in
Albion Road for the purpose of a day centre for psychiatric patients and a
training centre for 100 adult subnormal patients. During the year there was
an official opening of the Homerton Training Centre for adult patients by
Mr. Julian Snow, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.
The Centre had been in operation for some time but the formal ceremony gave
recognition of the interest in this type of work, and the Parliamentary
Secretary, in his speech at the opening, gave a promise of the continued
Government interest in the mental health services of the local authority. The
year saw the inauguration of the Council's own transport for the conveyance
of the subnormal patients to and from the various centres. This fleet of