[Report 1968] / Medical Officer of Health, York City.

  • York (England). City Council.
Date:
1968
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1968] / Medical Officer of Health, York City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and Wales, and the Seebohm Report — 'Report of the Committee on Local Authority and Allied Personal Social Services' were published. The Green Paper proposed the integration of the Health Services at present divided between the Hospital, General Practitioner and the Local Authority Services and suggested ways of bringing this about. It was a document for discussion and comment and certainly promoted both. There has been general agreement as to the necessity for the unification of the Health Services. Disagreement has been voiced as to the form of administration and the constitution of Area Health Boards, the administering authority, and the size of the area. A new role proposed for the Medical Officer of Health is that of Community Physician, a specialist in community medicine, which holds promise of an extension of his duties particularly in the field of epidemiology and the development of preventive aspects of medical care. We now await a new Green Paper which will present revised proposals for unification in the light of the productive discussion up and down the country. The Seebohm Report proposes the formation of a new Social Service department to include the present services provided by the Children and Welfare Departments, and certain social services of other departments. Again there is general acceptance of the concept of a Social Service depart¬ ment. There are differences of opinion as to which services should be removed from, for example, the Health Department to form this new depart¬ ment. Unfortunately it has been expressed that an incompatibility between social workers and their medical colleagues exists, but the writer has not experienced this. The two professions, the older medical and younger social, should go forward together, complementing each other in their work. Each has much to contribute to the particular discipline of the other. It is of interest that the disciplines are brought together in York in the person of the recently appointed Deputy Medical Officer of Health. Before taking up her studies in medicine. Dr. Hamshaw was a qualified social worker. Vital Statistics The new City boundary changes became effective in April adding to the area approximately 290 acres with a rateable value of approximately £114,300. The population increased as a result by 4,500. The Infant Mortality Rate for the City (17.0 per 1,000) is continuing the downward trend shown in previous years after the rise last year to 21.2 per 1,000. This compares favourably with the rate for England and Wales of 18.0 per 1,000. The mortality is largely due to congenital abnormalities and prema¬ turity of the infant. There were no maternal deaths during the year. The total number of deaths increased giving a mortality rate of 12.4 per 1,000, compared with a rate of 11.9 per 1,000 for England and Wales. Sixty four people died of cancer