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

Officers); and, made the Home Office the responsible ministry. See 1958.
1948 Cont
1948 cont Nurseries and Childminders (Regulations) Act (11&12 Geo.VI, c.53) required
local authorities to keep registers of premises where children are received to be looked after
for a day or substantial part of a day, and of persons who receive for reward children under
the age of five to be looked after in their homes. See 1968.
Veterinary Surgeons Act (11&12 Geo.VI, c.52) made unqualified practice illegal;
recognised approved degrees for admission to the register; and reconstituted the Council of
the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. See 1966.
Factories Act (11&12 Geo.VI, c.55) was concerned with the medical supervision of
young persons, sitting facilities and other amendments of the main acts. See 1959.
Rivers Board Act (11&12 Geo.VI, c.32) set up 28 river boards with responsibilities for
land drainage; control and protection of fisheries; and the prevention of pollution. See 1951
and 1963.
Radioactive Substances Act (11&12 Geo.VI, c.37) enabled the minister to make
regulations concerning the manufacture, production, storage, transport and disposal of such
substances. See 1960.
Compulsory vaccination of infants ended.
"The Development of Specialist Services" (RHB(47)1) set out guidelines from the
Ministry of Health on relating staffing levels to population in order to provide an equitable
area service through groups of hospitals under hospital management committees providing all
the normal services and regional hospital centres providing a wider range of services
including those requiring a larger population base. See 1950.
The Inter-Departmental Committee on the Remuneration of Consultants and
Specialists, Cmd.7420, (chairman, Sir Will Spens, see 1938) and on the Remuneration of
General Dental Surgeons, Cmd.7402, reported. The former committee recommended that
there should be equality of salaries between the different specialties and between different
hospitals, and that there should be merit awards available to those of above average ability.
See 1960.
Ministry of Health Circular 3/48 said that because of shortage of building materials and
the need to investigate the kinds, plans and functions of health centres, only schemes of
particular urgency for the building of health centres should be submitted
Committee on Industrial Diseases, Cmd.7557, (chairman, ET Dale, later Sir Edgar,
1886-1966, county court judge) advised on the principles which should govern the selection
of diseases for insurance under the National Insurance (Industrial Diseases) Act. See 1955.
The Conjoint Examining Board (1884) introduced an examination for a Diploma in
Industrial Health (see 1946).
The Medical Research Council set up the Social Medicine Research Unit at the Central
Middlesex Hospital, London, with JN Morris (see 1957, later professor of community health
at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London University) as director and
RM Titmuss (see 1938) as deputy director.
"Changing Disciplines" published, in which JA Ryle (see 1943) set out his concepts of
social pathology and social medicine.
Vitamin B12 discovered.
The first three comprehensive schools opened.
Transistors invented.
University of Nottingham founded.
Railways and the electricity industry nationalised. See 1993 and 1989 respectively.