[Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/52 (page 8)
    lo iiiiprove oiir medical services in ll)is country; lliey know it must be done, and tlie great majority are anxious that it sliould be done. 'J’liis does not mean that the medical services III the country are to-day so inetticient ui' so mercenary that they must be I'ooted out arai dis¬ carded. For such a thing is quite wjung, and it is important to realise this, and so work towai'ds results and reach new levels ot attainment by evolution rather than revolution. J am not going into the controversial jiroJessioiial issues ol the original White I’ajier; these can be argued more competently in their proiier [ilace, and 1 have no doubt that they will be so argued in due course. It is surticieiit, J think, i'or my purpose in this Mote to say that, with projier safeguards, the pro¬ fession, in its best and majoi'ity aspects, is anxious and willing to see improvements for the benefit ot the people, but, very naturally and jirojierl}', it is not prepared lightly to surrender the indeiiendence and tradition of its service on any ground about which it is not fully satisfied. In other rejiorts 1 have already adA'ised this Committee on the general jiroposals as set out in the (rovernment White Ihqier. I need not go over that ground again, except to say that to a great extent the advice which J giive you became the accejited policy from the viewpoint of County Authorities generally. And thus we live in a time ot uncertainty. It would be well if this can be ended with as little delay as may be possible, and so let us get on to the many things which so badly require our attention. 1 close this early glimpse of the jiost-war period lully confident in the future of medical science, and, perhaps a little less confident of ail the grand things that are being planned for us. I repeat the hope that the useful and possible things will not be throttled back and held up by the great things which may be better and more suitable but which will not be practical for years—if in our time at all. I hope that this Note may be useful as a record of some considerable achievement on the part of your Health ])epartment. 1 conclude with my gratitude to my Committee for their help and confidence in difficult times. 1 would like also to pay my tribute to Sir William Savage, who came hack so willingly to help Somerset and whose [lartnership with me was so very firm in its understanding, co-operation and friendship. Finally, these things could not have been done without a loyal and efficient staff; in all grades they gave of their best, but perhaps the real solid assistance which won the day came from the senior members of the clerical staff. This Ifeport was a Special Report written in Seplendier, 1945, and presented at that time to the Public Health Committee.