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Willesden infant welfare scheme
1919 •
PUBLIC
necessary qualifications for the posts secured, the remuneration for medical services is on a low scale. Medical officials generally commence official work later in life than other officials; and unlike the general practitioner of medicine, when they retire they have no practice to dispose of. These circumstances render it impossible for them to make a suitable provision for old age. (5) This latter fact tells against the public interest. I t deters many most promising medical men from undertaking whole-time official work, and high-quality services are thereby prejudiced. Moreover, the medical officer in default of an annuity is often compelled to continue in oNce when it is in the public interest that he should be replaced by a younger man. Doubtless it is because of the close relationship of superannuation to efficient service that the Government, various Public Departments, some local authorities, and many public companies and private firms have established schemes for the superannuation of their employees. (6) It is urged that any recommended provisions for the superannuation of medical officers serving local authorities should include all medical officers, whether whole-time or part-time officials, who are in office at the time when the measure comes into operation. (7) With special reference to Medical Officers of Health-A Medical Officer' of Health is generally approaching 3o years of age before he obtains an official appointment, and therefore he can never qualify for a maximum superannuation at 6o when this is dependent upon 4o years' service (as enacted by the Poor Law Officers' Superammation Act of 1896 ). It is estimated that about 7o per cent. of these officers in Great Britain are part-time officials ; and that the average annual salary for wholetime appointments in the Provinces is £6oo, and in the Metropolis £8oo. ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL. APPOINTMENT OF COUNTY MEDICAL OFFIC]~R OF HEALTH.
THE Finance and Journal Sub-Committee of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, acting as the Executive Committee, have had under consideration the terms and conditions of appointment of Medical Officer of Health for the Administrative County of Essex. Essex, with an assessable value of approximately £5,000,000, and a population of approximately 900,000, ranks as the seventh largest county in England and Wales. The County Medical Officer of Health is required to act as--Chief Medical Officer for Sanitary Purposes, Chief Medical Officer for Housing Purposes,
39
HEALTH.
Chief Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare, Chief Tuberculosis MedicM Officer, Chief Medical Adviser to the Insurance Committee as may be prescribed or required by the Council, Chief School Medical Officer, Chief Medical Adviser for the Care of the Mentatty Defective, and Chief Supervisory Officer of the County Laboratory ; and generally to perform such other duties as the County Council may hereafter assign to him in consequence of further legislation or otherwise. The appointment is whole-time, and the salary offered is £I,ooo per annum. The Finance and Journal Sub-Committee of the Society of Medical Officers of Health acting as the Executive Committee, Society of IVI.O.H., are of opinion that having regard to the present value of money, the remuneration offered is entirely inadequate to the responsibilities of the position, and detrimental to the interests of the public, the medical profession, and medical officers of health. GOVERNMENT GRANTS. In his annual report as Medical OËficer of Health for Wiilesden, Dr. G. F. Buehan makes the following observations on the subject of Government Grants :-" Every new Government grant is now associated with the issue of directions from the department concerned as to how it is to be spent and with the appointment of some new official or officials to see that the money is so spent. Much public time and money are wasted in the drafting and reading of minutes between departments. The principle on which Government grants are at present distributed is bad, the tendency being to reduce the health service to the level of the Poor Law service with the corollary of departmental orders and restrictions and loss of local freedom of choice and action. The responsibility for the spending of public money on behMf of Willesden should, subject to proper and efficient safeguards, be in the hands of the popularly elected local authority rather than under the bureaucratic control of a Government Department." W I L L E S D E N INFANT ~ r E L F A R E SCHEME. The day and night nursery recently opened by the ~Villesden District Council is now at work, and is intended as a home for the children of munition workers living in the district. Children from a few weeks of age up to five years are admitted at a payment of 6d. per child per day or night of I2 hours, or 7s. per week.
PUBLIC
necessary qualifications for the posts secured, the remuneration for medical services is on a low scale. Medical officials generally commence official work later in life than other officials; and unlike the general practitioner of medicine, when they retire they have no practice to dispose of. These circumstances render it impossible for them to make a suitable provision for old age. (5) This latter fact tells against the public interest. I t deters many most promising medical men from undertaking whole-time official work, and high-quality services are thereby prejudiced. Moreover, the medical officer in default of an annuity is often compelled to continue in oNce when it is in the public interest that he should be replaced by a younger man. Doubtless it is because of the close relationship of superannuation to efficient service that the Government, various Public Departments, some local authorities, and many public companies and private firms have established schemes for the superannuation of their employees. (6) It is urged that any recommended provisions for the superannuation of medical officers serving local authorities should include all medical officers, whether whole-time or part-time officials, who are in office at the time when the measure comes into operation. (7) With special reference to Medical Officers of Health-A Medical Officer' of Health is generally approaching 3o years of age before he obtains an official appointment, and therefore he can never qualify for a maximum superannuation at 6o when this is dependent upon 4o years' service (as enacted by the Poor Law Officers' Superammation Act of 1896 ). It is estimated that about 7o per cent. of these officers in Great Britain are part-time officials ; and that the average annual salary for wholetime appointments in the Provinces is £6oo, and in the Metropolis £8oo. ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL. APPOINTMENT OF COUNTY MEDICAL OFFIC]~R OF HEALTH.
THE Finance and Journal Sub-Committee of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, acting as the Executive Committee, have had under consideration the terms and conditions of appointment of Medical Officer of Health for the Administrative County of Essex. Essex, with an assessable value of approximately £5,000,000, and a population of approximately 900,000, ranks as the seventh largest county in England and Wales. The County Medical Officer of Health is required to act as--Chief Medical Officer for Sanitary Purposes, Chief Medical Officer for Housing Purposes,
39
HEALTH.
Chief Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare, Chief Tuberculosis MedicM Officer, Chief Medical Adviser to the Insurance Committee as may be prescribed or required by the Council, Chief School Medical Officer, Chief Medical Adviser for the Care of the Mentatty Defective, and Chief Supervisory Officer of the County Laboratory ; and generally to perform such other duties as the County Council may hereafter assign to him in consequence of further legislation or otherwise. The appointment is whole-time, and the salary offered is £I,ooo per annum. The Finance and Journal Sub-Committee of the Society of Medical Officers of Health acting as the Executive Committee, Society of IVI.O.H., are of opinion that having regard to the present value of money, the remuneration offered is entirely inadequate to the responsibilities of the position, and detrimental to the interests of the public, the medical profession, and medical officers of health. GOVERNMENT GRANTS. In his annual report as Medical OËficer of Health for Wiilesden, Dr. G. F. Buehan makes the following observations on the subject of Government Grants :-" Every new Government grant is now associated with the issue of directions from the department concerned as to how it is to be spent and with the appointment of some new official or officials to see that the money is so spent. Much public time and money are wasted in the drafting and reading of minutes between departments. The principle on which Government grants are at present distributed is bad, the tendency being to reduce the health service to the level of the Poor Law service with the corollary of departmental orders and restrictions and loss of local freedom of choice and action. The responsibility for the spending of public money on behMf of Willesden should, subject to proper and efficient safeguards, be in the hands of the popularly elected local authority rather than under the bureaucratic control of a Government Department." W I L L E S D E N INFANT ~ r E L F A R E SCHEME. The day and night nursery recently opened by the ~Villesden District Council is now at work, and is intended as a home for the children of munition workers living in the district. Children from a few weeks of age up to five years are admitted at a payment of 6d. per child per day or night of I2 hours, or 7s. per week.