[Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley County Borough.

  • Burnley (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1972
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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

    9/122 (page 7)
    Report on the management structure of Local Authority Nursing Staff, a Chief Nursing Officer was appointed to the Local Authority. The Briggs Report on nursing services reviewed the role of education and training of nurses and midwives in the hospital and community. One of several others was the Hunter Report on the working and training of medical administrators. Implementation of all these Reports affected most members of my Department who have had to take integration training courses. I had the priviledge of being a member of the first Hunter training course for medical administrators at Manchester University as well as the ’pilot’ multi- disciplinary training course for senior health service administrators at York University during the year. I was also attached to the Manchester Regional Hospital Board for one month as part of a reciprocal arrangement for Regional Board Medical Officers to attend Local Health Departments. During the year I was granted my membeiship of the Faculty of Community Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, London, which is one of the qualifications required for community physicians in the re-organised health service. Public Health is a branch of medicine which can contribute even more in future than it has in the past and there is a tremendous future in community medicine. According to proposals in the first Green Paper most of the work of the Medical Officer will be included in the functions of the Chief Administrative Medical Officer who will serve both Area Health Authority and the Local Authority, According to the second Green Paper in 1970? the Chief Community Physician in this capacity will work for the Local Authority on public health and other services giving medical advice as required. As general adviser he will be able to survey the pattern of health care both in hospital and in the community and take a comprehensive view of the health needs and health problems. He will continue to exercise the responsibilities of present Medical Officers of Health in promoting the development of local authority services which are incorporated in the unified health service. There will thus be a greater opportunity for acquiring closer knowledge of health hazards as they arise through a continuing study of the pattern of illness presenting itself to the health service. This should enable him to be an effective adviser to the Local Authority on the health aspects of all its services. The hospital structure follows recommendations of the Cogwheel Report designed to involve doctors and nurses in management, and the District Management Team of the future will carry out the detailed work of administration. This will be composed of an administrator, treasurer, community physician, nursing officer and representatives of the hospital consultant staff and general practitioners. The changes which are planned are intended before ]ong to bring greater benefit to the patient. The School Health Service was initiated in 1907 in order to improve health conditions, both personal and in regard to environment of the children, and to endeavour to secure the physical improvement of coming generations.