[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bexley].

  • Bexley (London, England). Borough Council.
Date:
[1969]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bexley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/144 (page 12)
    Municipal Borough Health Department at 8 Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, an old private residence, together with the small purpose built Divisional Education Office of the Kent County Council opposite at No.9 Brampton Road. The separation of the two buildings by a busy road inevitably meant administrative inconvenience and some inefficiency but these were unavoidable. Because of the inadequacy of these premises the Home Help Service continued to be operated from premises in Queen Street, Erith. The Brampton Road premises were far too small to house the new department but fortunately the garden at the rear of No.8 Brampton Road was large and addi tional office accommodation in large wooden huts was provided. Once again we were unfortunate to encounter great difficulties in this project also. It had been agreed that at least 4,600 sq.ft. of hutted accommodation would be needed, but a few days before all the formalities could be com pleted, a government restriction on office building was introduced, as a result of which only 2,500 sq.ft. could be provided and only this reduced area was avilable for the new department on the 1st April 1965. This serious loss of accommodation prevented the proper development of many services of the department at a crucial time. Repeated representations were made to try and get permission to increase the area of the temporary office accommodation, but this was not forth coming from the Board of Trade until October 1965 and the erection of part of the balance of the accommodation (1,400 sq.ft.) was not completed until March 1966. Before completion of this second phase it was very obvious that still further accommodation would be needed and the third stage (2,800 sq.ft. (approx.)) was only completed in April 1968. Another serious problem encountered was the inadequacy of many of the facilities available in the Borough for transfer to the new authority from the constitutent authorities. The personal health services and the welfare services had been provided by Kent County Council which had facilities such as Old People's Homes, training centres for adult mentally sub-normal persons and Part III accommodation, etc. available outside the Borough. On the appointed day the London Borough of Bexley became responsible for 157 old people resident in Kent County Council Homes in the county and 73 in voluntary homes elsewhere out side the Borough, a total of 230 persons. There were also 145 old persons on the waiting list for residential accommodation. However, only two Kent County Council Homes were situated in Bexley London Borough and therefore transferred to the new authority. These were St. Mary's in Bexley with 38 beds and Russell House, Bexleyheath, with 48 beds, and it was necessary to come to an arrangement with Kent County Council to retain Bexley persons in their other Homes in the County until new accommodation could be provided by the London Borough of Bexley. No Part III temporary accommodation was transferred on the appointed day. There were four Bexley families in Kent County Council accommodation and arrangements were made for Kent County Council to continue to look after these persons until new provision could be made in Bexley London Borough. The magnitude of the problem due to inadequate facilities is revealed in the Ten Year Plan for the Development of Local Authority Health and Welfare Services which was approved by the Council in March 1966. In order to provide the necessary Health and Welfare facilities for the Borough it was estimated that a minimum capital expenditure of £4.6 millions would be needed over the ten years 1966—1975. The types of provision needed include homes for the elderly, centres for the handicapped, training centres for the mentally subnormal, hostels for mentally sub normal and mentally ill persons, day nurseries, health centres, etc. 12