[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Coventry County & City.

  • Coventry (England). County and City Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Coventry County & City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Officer for Maternal and Child Welfare respectively who, in harmonious liaison and unison, retained their separate administrative roles within their particular fields of assignment. Prior to the amalgamation of the Maternity and Child Welfare and School Health Services it was fully appreciated that child health interests in Coventry should not be compartmentalised into two separate entities, i.e. pre- and post-school periods, but that it was both objective and rational to ensure a complete continuum of health service provision from birth right through to school leaving (and even beyond whenever that was possible). The Coventry Municipal Medical/Nursing services over the years, and particularly since the introduction of the National Health Service Act in 1948, has been indeed fortunate to have the happiest and most fruitful accord and relationships with the local hospital paediatric consultants and their services. Because of this, and a progressive municipal attitude also, our Medical Officers and Nurses have been nurtured”, so to speak, and have progressed in the field of developmental paediatrics and have had opportunity for an in-service training in this respect second to none. With the recent retirement of our Senior Medical Officer for Maternal and Child Welfare, Dr. Janet M. Done, and with her full understanding, the scene was set for one of two final steps in the complete process of integration and unification of the two services, namely, the appointment of a Principal Medical Officer in Child Health and also of a Senior Medical Officer in Child Health. (N.B. The other major step will eventuate when, ultimately, a Chief Nursing Officer is appointed within the Health Department). Dr. Margaret M. R. Gaffney, our former Senior School Medical Officer was appointed to the new Principal post on 1 st January, 1970 and the Senior post will be filled in due course. This reorganisation will provide best possible scope in consideration of the overall health interests of Coventry children and best future progress should clearly eventuate from the new arrangement. I wish therefore firstly to thank Dr. Gaffney for her intensive and valuable contribution to the development of the School Health Service during her long period of office with this authority. In her new post she will have enhanced opportunity to help achieve still further important progress in the interests of children generally. Secondly, I wish to pay tribute to the work of Dr. Janet M. Done, Senior Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare since 1st December, 1950 until 31st March, 1970, upon which latter date she retired from the service of this local authority. Dr. Done was a highly qualified colleague with a wealth of experience in the Maternity and Child Welfare Services and this combination placed her expertise and advice greatly in demand - not only by her immediate health department