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

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

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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

    6/168 (page 4)
    INTRODUCTION Progress and Change In the six years that have elapsed since I was appointed, the Depart¬ ment has undergone considerable development. The annual cost chargeable to the rates for the provision of health services has increased from £212,277 to £614,110. The services for the elderly have expanded by the addition of three purpose-built homes with an increase in the number of residential places from 178 to 319. The introduction of warden service schemes has resulted in a total of 120 places now being available. The number of meals provided by the Meals on Wheels Service has increased from 9,270 to 28,652. In the services for the physically handicapped the opening of Gladstone Centre in 1965, the more recent opening of a temporary sheltered workshop and the commencement of the permanent purpose built workshop, are sub¬ stantial achievements. In the services for the mentally disordered, Cliftonville Training Centre opened in 1965 to accommodate 80 and now accommodating 100, is due for expansion to 140 places during the coming year. The hostel for the mentally handicapped must be one of the most attractive and successful in the country. The recent opening of Greenfields School, shortly to be transferred to the Education Authority is another important milestone, and the Special Care Unit opened in 1966 has provided a pioneer service for severely handicapped children in the area. Finally, the completion of the first purpose built clinic since 1936 has been achieved despite financial difficulties. Apart from buildings, schemes for the attachment of health visitors and district nurses to general practitioners; for domiciliary midwives to undertake maternity care and deliver selected cases in the G.P. Maternity Unit: computer assistance to general practitioners for vaccinations and immunisations; the Joint Social Work Scheme with St. Crispin Hospital; the honorary and joint appointments of medical and nursing staff with the hospitals; the introduction of occupational therapy and physio¬ therapy services, along with considerable changes in the organisation of the School Health Service, all demonstrate the development and expansion of these important services. Progress of this degree during times of financial difficulty has only been achieved by the support of the Health, Education, Establishment and Finance Committees of the Council and the goodwill of colleagues in general practice and in hospital. On the 31st December, under the provisions of the Local Authority Social Services Act, the Health Committee ceased to be responsible for many of these services with the transfer of Welfare Services for elderly and physically handicapped, the Mental Health and Home Help Services, the care of the unsupported mother and children under five, to the new Department of Social Services, and under the Education (Handicapped Children) Act responsibility for education of mentally handicapped children passed on the 1st April to the Education Com¬ mittee.