[Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Batley Borough.

  • Batley (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1967
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Batley Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/96 (page 8)
    provision of suitable premises for public health clinic purposes is un- satisfactory, there being only one purpose built clinic in the Borough to cover a wide range of activity. Infant Welfare Clinics are held in Sunday School premises in Birstall and Hanging Heaton which are not satisfactory for the purpose and are generally overcrowded during these sessions. Unfortunately also the premises at Staincliffe Branch Library have not been available for clinic purposes for the greater part of the year. A scheme has been submitted to the County Medical Officer for the provision of a Health Centre and subsidiary clinics in the Borough. The success of the local health services is heavily dependent on effective co-operation and goodwill between all branches of the National Health Service, and there is a growing desire, which I strongly support, for their administrative integration either inside or apart from Local Government responsibility. I believe that I am able to say that the co-operation between our services, the general practitioners and hospital service in the area is excellent, but the administrative structure is cumbersome and time con- suming, and I doubt whether it achieves to the full the most efficient service to the public or the most effective and economical use of the facilities available. The most cordial relationships exist also between officers of the Health Department and those of the other social service departments with whom we have virtually day-to-day contact, and this also applies to the teaching staffs of the schools throughout the area. I am most grateful for the help which was extended to me by Dr. J. F. Caithness your former Medical Officer of Health, in making my introduc- tion to Batley less difficult than it might otherwise have been. Also to Mr. Gilchrist, the Chief Public Health Inspector, who has been at great pains to acquaint me with the environmental circumstances and problems of Batley, and who has supplied me with that part of the Report and retro- spective information. Finally, while it would be idle to pretend that there have been no early difficulties arising from the amalgamation of the divisional area or from my appointment as Medical Officer of Health to four Authorities, these have been made lighter by the help which I have had from a loyal and conscientious staff and from the Chairman and members of the Batley Health and Housing Committees who have extended courtesy and under- standing to me from the beginning. WILLIAM MASON DOUGLAS, Medical Officer of Health and Divisional Medical Officer.