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9
A little known function of the department is to help in the adaptation
of individuals' homes for the provision of artificial kidney machines.
Although the service applies to few people, for those that have to be provided
for, it makes a difference between an intolerable and a tolerable life. As
the Committee are aware, Hackney is one of the boroughs that provides this
service free of cost.
The year saw the appointment of Hackney's first full-time Health
Education Officer. No dramatic changes have taken place as a result, but we
are slowly achieving better co-ordination of our health education programme.
1972 saw the completion and opening of yet another health centre that
is the Clapton Park Health Centre. This means the Borough has three purposebuilt
health centres, the John Scott Health Centre which was inherited from
the London County Council: the Somerford Grove Health Centre, opened in 1971:
and now the Clapton Park Health Centre. Several other health centres are
in various stages of planning or erection - Barton House which it was hoped
would be opened in 1972 has been delayed, but there are still hopes that it
will be completed and opened in 1973. Hedgers Grove is in the course of
erection: Fountayne Road has been started during the preparation of this
Report. The most ambitious scheme, the Tresham Avenue Health Centre, is in
an advanced stage of planning. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this
Preface, it would seem that the Department of Health and Social Security
will not be able to provide money for the scheme to go ahead in this financial
year. The Borough has probably one of the most ambitious schemes for Health
Centres, certainly in London if not in the country. Hackney is probably one
of the areas where for one reason or another health centres are most needed.
They provide good working conditions for the medical, nursing and other
staff, and a good standard of accommodation and service for the public.
Doctors working in the Health centre have said that they feel the standard
of medicine they are able to practise is much improved by working in a
health centre and patients have expressed appreciation of the warm, pleasant
accommodation and the more easily available services for making appointments.
In view of the particular difficulties of finding land in such a densely
built-up area as Hackney, I feel Hackney can be proud of the progress it has
made in this field.
The department has made slow progress towards an Occupational Health
Service. Work has increased in respect of pre-appointment health assessments
as well as assessments for sickness and superannuation purposes. Negotiations
are beginning with Union representatives to expand this work into a more
comprehensive scheme but are, as yet, at a very early stage.
As mentioned earlier in this Preface the department trains or arranges
for the training of considerable numbers of its staff. Apart from such
professional trainees as district nurses, health visitors, public health
inspectors, training is given to administrative and clerical officers, and
attempts at in-service training of some of the more junior officers have
taken place. This involves the department in a considerable amount of work
but with the difficulties we have experienced it is one of the best means
of obtaining recruitment to the department.