[Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Paisley Burgh.

  • Paisley (Scotland). Burgh Council.
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Paisley Burgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    supervision and cleansing, but consideration wil 1 have to be given to the construction of school hygiene units before a permanent solution can be found. From the 7th of February to the 5th-of March a Campaign directed against accidental poisoning in the home was carried out jointly by Paisley Home Safety Committee, the local Chemists and the Public Health Department. The public were invited to look in their cupboards and see if any old or disused medicines were lying there and if so, either to destroy them or hand them in to their local Chemists. The Campaign made a considerable impact and a large number of tablets and pills were handed in. These medicines had been lying unused for varying periods and were a distinct source of danger to children. A further extension of the control of atmospheric pollution took place in the Thomly Park and Lochfield areas of the town. The day is not far distant when the whole town will be completely free from pollution of its own making, When this happens it will be a major achievement in Public Health. The Health Department has been used to an increasing extent by a variety of Organisations for the training of staff, thus emphasising the high regard in which it is held. The Eastern Regional Hospital Hoard have seconded a student for training in Administration and the University of Strathclyde placed a psychiatric social worker for training in Mental Health. The University of Edinburgh have utilised the resources of the Department for their studies on Local Authority Services, and the National Survey of Health and Development have drawn on Paisley's experience. The new syllabus for the training of nurses has given an important place to Public Health and Comnunity medicine, and in order to implement this an integrated programme of practical work and lectures has been drawn up in co-operation with the Royal Alexandra Infirmary School of Nursing. Paisley has also taken part in the National Child Development Survey. The links between the Family Planning Clinic and the Local Authority Health Department have been further strengthened and cervical cytology has been actively carried out in these Clinics. Family Planning is being incorporated in the activities of the local Health Clinics and will assume greater importance in the near future. An important developnent during the year was the decision to adapt Arkleston House as a Day Care Centre for handicapped children. This type of Centre has been needed for a long time in Paisley and it will form a nucleus of a complete establish- ment for handicapped persons. The present Occupation Centres are badly overcrowded and purpose-built units are urgently required. They could be easily accommodated in the grounds surrounding the House. Discussions have taken place with the staff of the Mental Hospitals to investigate the possibility of residential Homes for mentally ill persons being provided, and they too could be easily set up within the grounds of Arkleston House. the application of computer science to medicine is assuming greater importance an se ected staff of the Department have received training in this branch of science. cussLons have been held to decide how best these new techniques may be harnessed to local Health Authority work. hi to Paper Social Work and the Comnurity’ was issued during the year and