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

1942 Cont - 1943
1942 cont work from health centres and be paid a basic salary plus capitation fees and fees
for special clinics. The report contained a section on the future of the medical officers of
health, whom it renamed social physicians, to be employed by the corporation. See 1944.
The Nursing Reconstruction Committee (chairman, Lord Horder, 1871-1955,
physician) of the Royal College of Nursing reported on the role and employment of assistant
nurses. See 1943.
Institute of Hospital Administrators (later the Institute of Health Services Management)
formed from the amalgamation of the Institute of Clerks and Stewards of Mental Hospitals
and the Incorporated Association of Hospital Officers.
Muscle relaxants introduced into anaesthesia.
1943 Ministry of Town and Country Planning established. Functions were passed to the
Ministry of Local Government and Planning in 1951.
Nurses Act (6&7 Geo.VI, c.17) and Nurses (Scotland Act (c.33) gave official
recognition to the grade of assistant or enrolled nurse, for whom two years training was
required, which was to include not less than one year spent in nursing the chronic sick; and
introduced regulation of nurses agencies. See 1947.
The Medical Planning Committee of the Society of Medical Officers of Health
recommended the creation of a new ministry of health which brought together the health
functions of all ministries; the reform of local government to establish elected authorities for
areas of sufficient size to administer all health services (hospital, consultant, general
practitioner, nursing, laboratory, preventive and environmental) and all other services of local
government; and the establishment of health centres by the new local authorities at which
general practitioners would work in groups on a whole-time salaried basis and participate in
maternity and child welfare and school medical work (Public Health, 56, 42-45). See 1944.
The Committee on Post-War Hospital Problems in Scotland, Cmd.6472, (chairman, Sir
Hector Hetherington, 1888-1965, principal Glasgow University) envisaged the continuation
of the dual system of voluntary and local authority hospitals; and recommended the
establishment of five regional councils, composed of equal numbers of representatives from
the voluntary hospitals and local authorities, to assess hospital needs and to plan the hospital
services for their region. See 1944.
The Inter-Departmental Committee on the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Disabled
Persons, Cmd.6415, (chairman, G Tomlinson, 1890-1952, politician) defined rehabilitation as
"a continuous process, partly in its medical sphere and partly in the social or industrial
sphere"; and considered that rehabilitation services should be available to all disabled persons
whatever the cause or nature of the disablement. The report recommended the registration of
disabled people; a quota scheme requiring a proportion of employees of larger firms to be
registered disabled people; and the provision of sheltered employment. See 1944.
Nurses Salary Committee (chairman Lord Rushcliffe, 1872-1949, politician)
recommended, Cmd.6424, scales of salaries for all nurses (e.g. ward sisters should be paid
£130 per year rising to £180) and for student nurses (£40 per year rising to £50); the
introduction of a 96-hour fortnight; and living out allowances for nurses except for the
student nurses, matron and assistant matron. Similar recommendations were made for
midwives by another committee also chaired by Lord Rushcliffe.
The Horder Committee (see 1942) reported on the education, training and recruitment
of nurses, recommending that there should be a reduction in the number of training schools
and that small hospitals without the facilities for complete training should have a well-