Report on venereal diseases / Medical Advisory Committee (Scotland).

Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on venereal diseases / Medical Advisory Committee (Scotland). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    clinic but it cannot be too strongly emphasised that patients must be handled with a consideration and tact calculated to engender confidence and encourage- ment. In one sense the success or failure of a clinic will depend upon the attitude adopted towards the patient by all concerned ; patients are unlikely to persevere with treatment in an unsympathetic atmosphere. To see that the correct atmosphere is maintained is a duty which should normally devolve upon the Medical Officer of Health. 48. We consider it an important duty of the clinical staff to ensure that, without creating undue alarm, every patient is impressed with his obligation to himself and to the community to submit faithfully to the treatment prescribed, to abstain from infecting others, and to assist in bringing contacts under medical care. Having regard to the fact that a considerable time is required for the full investigation of a new case we recommend that, in the larger centres at least, appointment of trained lay personnel to take preliminary case histories. 49, The medical officer in charge of a clinic should be a person with special training and experience in venereal diseases and junior medical staffs should work under the supervision and systematic instruction of experienced seniors. Particularly in the larger centres, the services of consultants in other specialities (e.g. dermatology, cardiology, neurology, etc.) should be made available to venereal diseases officers and conversely it is of especial advantage that gynecological clinics should work in close co-operation with a venereologist. Wherever circumstances permit it is advisable that female patients should be under the care of female doctors, and should receive their treatment in clinics dealing with female ailments in general, rather than in a special venerea diseases department. 7 50. To ensure a steady supply of competent medical officers we recommend that arrangements be made by local authorities and the Central Department whereby practitioners assigned for work under the venereal diseases service, either in clinics or in the general medical service, should have special training, to be renewed at stated intervals where practicable. We lay great stress on the principle that the non-medical technical staff at a clinic should undergo a period of training at an approved centre, a subject to which we refer in more detail (paras. 60-62). 51. The immediate responsibility for maintaining an adequate venereal diseases scheme in a given area must rest with the Medical Officer of Health. In a centre directly under his administrative control, there should be no inherent difficulty in ensuring that facilities and staff are of the necessary standard, but where a clinic is not directly under his supervision, an arrangement is necessary to ensure that the work is carried out in close co-operation with him and that he can be satisfied that the staffing and clinical facilities are adequate. Where an arrangement has been made with an institution for the treatment of venereal diseases, the Local Authority should revise their agreement to ensure conformity with the above recommendations. 52. The control of venereal diseases being a matter of national importance, we consider that the Department of Health for Scotland should act as a super- visory and unifying authority, keeping in close and constant touch with venereal diseases officers and clinics. The Department should sponsor the dissemination of new knowledge and should ensure that each venereal diseases officer is supplied with current information. Venereal diseases officers should also be given an Oe rs
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