[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Breconshire County Council.

  • Breconshire (Wales). County Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Breconshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/58 (page 17)
    The local health authority has arranged for tiie supply of Scots Twin Pack cereal at clinics. This is sold at a cheap rate. Distribution of Welfare Foods. Circular 10/54, dated 7th April, 1954, from the Welsh Board of Health, informed Local Health Authorities, that when local offices of the Ministry of Health closed at or about the end of June the functions with regard to the distribution of Welfare Foods would be taken over by them. The foods coming within the category of “Welfare Foods” being National Dried Milk, Orange Juice, Cod Liver Oil, and Vitamin Tablets. Arrangements were accordingly made to carry out these duties and on the 14th July, 1955, they were completed, all trans- fers of stocks had then been made and the County Council under- took these duties under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act, 1946. Much helpful infonnation and advice was given by the Officers employed by the Ministry of Labour and National In- surance and the Ministry of Food during this time which re- sulted in the transfer being effected so smoothly. From information received it appeared that a number of Voluntary Distributors were issuing these Welfare Foods and. indeed, in a rural area such as Breconshire it is difficult to en- visage how such a scheme could be carried out without their help without the cost being prohibitive. The Scheme, therefore, commenced in this County with 7 main distribution centres and 24 voluntary distributors located at shops and private houses. Reference must here be made to the assistance given to this scheme at the commencement when the Nurses manned the main distribution centres on a rota until such time as an officer could be appointed to undertake the duties. At the time the nurses were prepared to do more than was actually required, but as it was considered absolutely necessary to relieve them of these duties at the earliest opportunity they were only required to do the maximum amount that could be undertaken by the officer whose appointment was pending, thus ensuring that on his appointment the .nurses were entirely relieved of this work in connection with the distribution of Welfare Foods. I wish therefore, to place on record my appreciation of the assistance given by the Nursing Staff. The main distribution points throughout the County are as follows, with the days and times of opening: —