[Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Huddersfield County Borough.

  • Huddersfield (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Huddersfield County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/134 (page 7)
    HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HUDDERSFIELD. Telephone No. Huddersfield 22133 Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present to you my Annual Report for 1966. Two major policy decisions were recorded during the year. Firstly, the Health Committee accepted the principles which lie behind the dev- elopment of community medical services from Health Centres built by the Local Health Authority. This decision was welcomed by the Hudd- ersfield Executive Council, and by the end of the year exploratory talks were taking place with representatives of the medical profession in one area of the town. General arrangements for such buildings are becom- ing clear. The Local Health Authority must be satisfied that there is need for development for both its own and family doctor services in a given area. The building is erected by the Authority, and those parts available for general practitioner services are let to the Executive Council, which in turn makes arrangements for occupation. Other services such as those provided by the dental surgeons may also be included. It is quite clear that in providing a unit of such diverse functions with two statutory bodies, and the independent decisions of general practitioners involved, there must be joint discussion of any project at the earliest opportunity. Secondly, there was a revision of the mental health structure and its future requirements. Dr. Jones, Senior Medical Officer for Mental Health, left during the year to take a position at Storthes Hall Hospital, after helping to develop the service during the past five years. It was decided to discontinue the full-time medical post, and Dr. Hughes, Consultant Psychiatrist, was appointed to give specialist advice on a sessional basis to the Committee and its officers. Some routine medical work is to be undertaken by the staff of the Department, and an add- itional Mental Welfare Officer is to be appointed. The alterations at Clare Hill, to provide a second Hostel for persons suffering from psy- chiatric illness, were deferred until 1968. No further development along these lines could be foreseen, and the purpose of a Hostel, which was projected for about 1970, was changed to provide accomodation for the mentally sub-normal. When the large rooms at Fieldhead become available, they are to be used as a Day Centre by mentally ill persons who live at home, require no active treatment, but are incapable of going out to work. Other decisions included the setting up of a clinic service to take cervical smears for the prevention of uterine cancer. Referral was from general practitioners, and 16 to 20 tests per week have been done. Development of this service has depended upon there being sufficient trained technologists in the hospital laboratories which carry out this work. By the end of 1966 the boot was being transferred to the other foot: the hospital service in this area is now ready to cope with an expan- sion in the community development of the facilities.