[Report 1984] / Medical Officer of Health, Guernsey.

  • Guernsey (Channel Islands). Council.
Date:
1984
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1984] / Medical Officer of Health, Guernsey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided for digitisation by Public Health Services, Guernsey.

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    MEDICAL ADVICE TO STATES DEPARTMENTS Civil Service Board. The routine pre employment physical check of all States employees was discontinued and replaced by assessment by questionaire, with the medical examination of selected individuals when indicated. This is in line with the present policy of occupational medicine physicians. There has been in the past, and there still is today in some quarters a firm belief that a regular medical check up is a good guarantee of future health. This may be a very comforting thought for managers, and indeed for individuals, but it may not be true. It may also be counter productive in that it is a way of delegating responsibilty for health onto somebody else (the doctor) rather than facing the fact that maintaining a healthy life style is one's own responsibilty. Routine medical screening programmes have been reviewed very critically over the years, with the conclusion that they can easily become a mis applied preventive health measure. There is certainly a good case for some selected procedures for some selected groups, but repeated comprehensive whole population screening is costly, time consuming and ineffective. Recommendations regarding early retirement on medical grounds were submitted for 13 individual employees, and for 7 teachers. States Insurance Authority. Dr C.G. White was appointed as part time medical adviser , to assist the Authority with medical advice on the clinical aspects of cases applying for or receiving benefits. States Water Board In view of the steady increase over the years of the average level of nitrates in the water supply, the evidence regarding potential harmful effects was reviewed. The conclusion reached was that the current EEC limit may be unnecessarily restrictive, and that the local situation warranted careful monitoring but certainly did not indicate the need for intervention or special treatment measures at present. Motor Tax Department. There were 19 consultations regarding medical aspects of fitness to drive. In August new copies of the 1978 booklet Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive and additional advice about cardiac conditions and epilepsy were circulated to all doctors. The UK relaxation of restrictions regarding drivers who had suffered from epilepsy (i.e. allowing a return to driving after 2 years freedom from fits, rather than waiting for 3 years ) has been accepted as a guideline locally. The control of drunken driving remains the single most urgent and important medical aspect in the prevention of road accidents.
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