The organisation of group practice : a report of a sub-committee of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee.
- Great Britain. Standing Medical Advisory Committee
- Date:
- 1971
Licence: Open Government Licence
Credit: The organisation of group practice : a report of a sub-committee of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
69/108 page 61
![THE RELATIONSHIP OF GROUP PRACTICE WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES AND PROFESSIONS Part 1: Rehabilitation 159. “In Britain the expression ‘rehabilitation of the sick and injured’ is used to define a continuous indivisible process which, starting from the onset of sickness and injury, comprises all the measures used to prevent undue loss of physical and mental function during illness, to assist convalescent patients to recover full function and to resume their normal way of life without undue delay and to help those for whom disability is permanent to adapt to their residual disability and to live and work in the conditions best suited to their capacity”’ (36). 160. To some extent such measures form a part of the management of any illness but they need special emphasis when illness or disability is severe or prolonged, or when complete recovery is unlikely or uncertain. In such conditions the hospital service is likely to play a leading part, particularly in the physical medicine and the geriatric departments. There are also specialised rehabilitation centres serving large areas. The Department of Employment can make an important contribution through its Industrial Rehabilitation Units, Government Training Centres and Disablement Resettlement Officers. We do not need to enlarge on these services here, as another Sub-Committee of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee is at present giving detailed consideration to rehabilitation in the National Health Service (37), but we would stress that the general practitioner is primarily respon- sible for the medical care of the disabled population living in the community and the experience and advice of the staff of the group practice may be vital to the correct management of the patient’s problems. As long ago as 1956 the Piercy Committee (38) said: ‘‘in this field the general practitioner may enjoy advantages denied to hospital medical staff. Longstanding personal knowledge of the patient may enable him not merely to diagnose and treat effectively but to assess the patient’s personality and capabilities very readily and to advise confidently on the future course of action. Local knowledge of industry and personal contacts with employers may enable him to give great help in advising on placing in employ- ment and resettlement. But to serve the patient’s interests most effectively, the general practitioner must be able to call on, and be ready to use, the services of the other members of the local team who can help him—the health visitor, the [social services] officer, the disablement resettlement officer, and so on.” This is no less true today, and provides a further reason for the incorporation of the health visitor and social worker in the group practice team, and for this team to establish good lines of communication with the disablement resettlement officer of the Department of Employment and the regional medical officer of the Health Departments, on the one hand, and the hospital departments concerned on the other. . 161. Physiotherapy, including remedial exercises and instruction in daily living, can play an important part in rehabilitation, and will be considered in the next section of this chapter.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32223328_0069.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
