[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Jersey.

Jersey (Channel Islands). Council.

Date:: 1962

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Jersey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE. REPORT FOR 1962. rpHE most signficant event of the year was the long awaited opening of the Private Wing at the 1 General Hospital. This facility has been made full use of, as will be seen from a subsequent section of this report, and has proved to be most successful. The Committee was pleased to welcome, during 1962, Dr. W. Williams as Deputy Medical Officer of Health, who commenced his duties on 10th September, 1962, following the resignation from that post of Dr. E. J. Desmond. 1962 also saw the retirement of Dr. Louise O’Meara from the Psychiatric Clinic and Dr. J. W. Wishart discontinued his work in that department during the year. The Committee is greatly appreciative of their invaluable work and takes this opportunity of expressing its sincere thanks to both Dr. O’Meara and Dr. Wishart for their long and untiring service. The Committee extends a warm welcome to Dr. J. P. Fogarty, the new Consultant Psychiatrist, who has succeeded Dr. O’Meara and who took up his duties on 27th July, 1962. As a result of redecorations, etc., during the year, the general atmosphere of the Marie Louise Ward is now greatly improved. Although conditions in this ward had for some time caused the Committee great anxiety, improvements could not be carried out earlier, because of lack of the necessary space. The Committee is conscious of the fact that accommodation at the General Hospital for psychiatric treatment is still not as satisfactory as might be desired and this problem receives constant attention. During 1962, it was agreed that an additional Eye Clinic should be held on Monday afternoons and this has proved to be most advantageous, as did the additional Medical Out-Patient Clinic which was also agreed to and which is held on Saturday mornings. On 25th April, 1962, the Committee’s report on the care of the aged and infirm was presented to the States. In this report, the Committee asked the States to approve its policy in this connexion and for authority to— (i) take the necessary preliminary steps to implement the various stages of its programme ; (ii) investigate the future housing requirement for the elderly and the possibility of providing a warden service ; (iii) assume responsibility for the Home Helps Service and, if necessary, to arrange for the appointment of a full-time Home Helps Organizer ; (iv) arrange for the appointment of a field worker to develop the welfare or social work aspects of the services, in co-operation with other officials and workers concerned ; (v) co-ordinate and further develop the existing voluntary services in the Island ; and (vi) arrange for the appointment of a consultant geriatrician who would be responsible for the hospital geriatric services and for the medical aspects of other services con¬ cerned with the care of the elderly.