A Chronology of State Medicine, Public Health, Welfare and Related ...

Matrimonial Causes Act (1 Edw.VIII & 1 Geo.VI, c.57) extended the grounds for
divorce to include desertion, cruelty, and supervening incurable insanity. See 1965.
1937 Cont - 1938
1937 cont Ministry of Health published its first report of the confidential enquiries into
maternal mortality, Cmd.5422 for England and Cmd.5423 for Wales. See 1952.
The Report of the Voluntary Hospitals Commission (chairman, Lord Sankey, 1866-
1948, previously the Lord Chancellor) of the British Hospitals Association recommended the
formation of hospital regions and voluntary hospitals regional councils to correlate hospital
provision to meet needs in each region, together with a voluntary hospitals central council to
coordinate the work of the regional councils. See 1938.
The Report of the Political and Economic Planning (PEP) on the British health services
dealt critically and constructively with every part of the health services. It emphasised the
vital role in the maintenance of health of nutrition, housing, economic and social security,
and recreation, stating - "Perhaps the most fundamental defect in the existing system is that it
is overwhelmingly pre-occupied with manifest and advanced diseases or disabilities and is
more interested in enabling the sufferers to go on functioning in society somehow than in
studying the nature of health and the means of producing and maintaining it". The report
recommended that medical and allied services should be separated from social insurance and
public assistance and be supported from general public funds, administered through regional
authorities. It urged that there should be more research on the causes of ill health and means
of prevention. (The report gave a detailed account of the health services at that time.) See
1938.
The West London Hospital Medical School (see 1893), founded especially for women
medical students, was recognised by London University for the clinical training of students,
but was not a school of the University. See 1958.
Influenza virus vaccines produced.
Typhoid outbreak in Croydon involved 341 cases.
Planning for a national blood transfusion service began.
Royal Institute of Public Health (see 1897) and the Institute of Hygiene (see 1903)
amalgamated to become the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene. See 1997.
"Principles of Medical Statistics", by A Bradford Hill (1897-1991) published by The
Lancet. The book introduced many doctors to the discipline of logic and the need to verify
observations and impressions.
1938 Eire (Confirmation of Agreements) Act (1&2 Geo.VI, c.25) confirmed that the
provisions of the 1922 act relating to the Irish Free State should be construed as referring to
Eire.
Population Statistics Act (1&2 Geo.VI, c.12) gave the Registrar General powers to
collect additional information, on a confidential basis, when births and deaths were
registered. See 1960.
Registration of Stillbirths (Scotland) Act (1&2 Geo.VI, c.55) brought Scotland in line
with England and Wales (see 1926). See 1992.
Food and Drugs Act (1&2 Geo.VI, c.56) consolidated legislation dealing with the
inspection and sampling of food and drugs. See 1955.
Children and Young Persons Act (1&2 Geo.VI, c.40) enlarged the powers of the
juvenile courts. See 1946.
Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act (1&2 Geo.VI, c.26) removed
rent control except for houses worth £35 or less in London and £20 or less elsewhere. See