[Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Chester City & County Borough.

  • Chester (England). City & County Borough Council.
Date:
1972
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Chester City & County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Telephones: Chester 27161 HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ST. MARTIN’S HOUSE, CHESTER. CHI 2BA 25142 25167 To the Mayor, Aldermen and Members of the Qty Council. Dear Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gendemen, One could well imagine that the approaching re-organisation of Local Government and the National Health Service might have caused lowering of standards in the existing Health Services, but the reverse has, in effect, been the case. Following advice from the Department of Health and Social Security on the upkeep of the services and on the efficient employment of trained personnel, it became apparent that the intention was to maintain and improve the services. Better than this, however. Local Health Authori- ties were encouraged to proceed with Health Schemes in the knowledge that these would be taken over in 1974 without any residual financial burdens. Thus we were able to proceed with developing new Health Centres at Lache and Boughton, to consider the provision of clinics in Handbridge, building a new Ambulance Station to replace the existing one built in 1951, and to examine accommodation needs of Doctors in City Practices. There were improvements in Family Planning, in Health Education in schools and clinics, and in cervical cytology follow up. Immunisation against Rubella (inter alia) was continued; a campaign against V.D. was begun, and investigation into possible hazard from lead in the City was commenced. Training of staff for the forthcoming re-organisation had to be arranged, but with all persormel fully occupied with day to day running of the existing services, none could be spared to transfer to the new Cheshire Area Health Joint Liaison Committee. This was a matter for some regret, as some Local Authorities had been able to make this (provision, with obvious advantage to their staffs when the new Health Authorities appoint their officers. Financial problems even made it necessary to witiidraw some staff from Training Courses they wished to attend. Nor was it possible to offer the Joint Health Liaison Committee the amount of accommodation it needed—though it must be noted that considerable accommodation for the new N.H.S. will be transferred to the Area Health Authority in 1974. This situation should be regarded as a measure of the effici^cy and economy of the single tier Government of County Boroughs which, alas, will disapypear after 31st March next. Under the new administration, the three widely differing parts of the Health Service—General Medical Practice, Hospitals and Local Authority services—will be co-ordinated at EHstrict level. It is sincerely hoped that the service to the population—which after all is the whole object of the N.H.S.—will benefit by the administrative and boundary changes proposed.