[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough.

  • Birkenhead (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    INTRO D U C T I 0 N Some men see things as they are and ask why] I dream things that never were and ask why not. Bernard Shaw/Robert Kennedy. Some of the dreams of 1969 began to be a reality in the year 1970. The new advances in 1970 were not so great: perhaps it was that the medical officer of health was running out of energy, though by the end of 1970 a deputy medical officer of health, Dr. J.T. Roberts, was appointed. Dr. Roberts brought new ideas from his experience in the county boroughs of Swansea and Worcester, and he is most welcome to inject some new enthusiasm into the numerous health problems of Birkenhead. Also during the year, 1st October, 1970, we appointed another full-time doctor, Dr. Carole Standley, and thus as 1970 came to a close, with the part-time doctors assisting us, for whose help we are ever grateful, we could muster an excellent medical staff. How different this was from the position in early 1969. The situation amongst the nursing staffs was not at times easy; Health Visitors are in short supply,, Indeed, our advertisements for health visitors usually get little response and it is fortunate we have some in training at Liverpool University to offset those health visitors who leave for a variety of reasons. Midwives are keen on domiciliary work, but the number of candidates applying for vacant district nursing posts has diminished over the past two years. The difficulties experienced in professional staff recruit- ment are probably linked with the uncertain future of local authority health departments in relation to recent legislative change. In April 1970, the Local Authority Social Services Act was hurried through Parliament and the Seebohm proposals were largely achieved. With the transfer of the mental health services to the new department, one is reminded of the quotation, that the mind and the body are like the jerkin and the lining of the jerkin - ruffle the one and you ruffle the otherJM It would appear that mental health in the new Social Services Department is due for a good ruffling - it is to be profoundly hoped it will not be too divorced from physical health. By November 1970, the correct decision had been made to appoint the new Director of Social Services. The Chief Welfare Officer, Mr. Gamble, was an excellent choice and the good relations which have always existed in Birkenhead between Health and Welfare departments will increase with the setting up of the new Social Work department. We are fortunate in working together in the new Social Services building in Birkenhead. With the movement of certain sections of the Health Department to the new Social Services department and the setting up of the proposed social work teams there will be some re-appraisal of the accommodation in the Social Services Centre, but whatever the re-organisation every effort must be made to provide a better service for the people of Birkenhead.
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