[Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Sturminster R.D.C.

  • Sturminster (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1969
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Sturminster R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    B. NATURE OF THE DISTRICT This is principally an agricultural district, though there are two sawmills, a glove factory and two milk factories. There are one or two small industries at Stalbridge which have recently developed, one where coffins are made and another dealing with scrap metals. During the year the Council has been successful in attracting a new light industry at Butts Pond in Sturminster Newton in addition to the South Western Farmers agricultural machinery depot. C. HEALTH S E RVICES IN THE DISTRICT which, are provided by the Regional Hospital Board and the County Council.etc. Hospital coverage for the district is shared by the Yeatman Hospital at Sherborne, the Dorset County Hospital (both of the West Dorset Hospital Group), together with the Blandford Hospital and the Poole General Hos¬ pital (of the Bournemouth and East Dorset Hospital Group) of the Wessex Regional Hospital Board. LABORATORY SERVICES The Public Health Laboratory Service has once again proved co¬ operative, helpful and efficient. GENERAL MEDICAL PRACTITIONER, OPTHALMIC AND PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES These are administered locally by the Dorset Executive Committee. COUNTY COUNCIL SERVICES The personal preventive health services are the responsibility of the County Council. They comprise the care of mothers and young children, maternity, school health, prophylactic innoculation, home nursing, mental health, the ambulance service, the care and after care of the tuberculous, blind and handicapped, health education, the domestic home help service and the welfare of the aged. Domestic Home Help Service The assistance provided by the domestic home help service is of such incalculable benefit to the needy old people that it is difficult to re¬ call how these people managed before this service was instituted. But for this service, on which increasing demands are being made, many old people would be unable to survive in their own homes. VOLUNTARY SERVICES Acknowledgment must again be made to the excellent voluntary work carried out in the district by the British Red Cross Society, the Stur¬ minster Voluntary Old People's Welfare Committee, the Sturminster Silvor Thread Club, the Rotary Club and the W.R.V.S. The latter providos a meals-on-wheels service, from which 80 old people benefitted compared with 73 during the preceding year. This is a most valuable service. Not only are the meals appreciated by the old people, but, even more, (one sometimes thinks) are the twice weekly visits by helpers who take the meals round. A chiropody clinic, organised by the British Red Cross Society, is held at the County Clinic, Green Close, Sturminster Newton, each Thursday morning in the month, excepting the first Thursday.