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

1951 Cont 1
1951 cont a registered medical practitioner may attend a woman in childbirth, except in an
emergency. Midwives (Scotland) Act (14&15 Geo.VI, c.54) brought in equivalent changes in
Scotland. See 1968.
Nurses (Scotland) Act (14&15 Geo.VI, c.55) consolidated and amended previous acts,
including the 1949 act on the reform of the General Nursing Council for Scotland.
Dangerous Drugs Act (14&15 Geo.VI, c.48) replaced previous acts. See 1964.
Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Act (14&15 Geo.VI, c.64) and Rivers Pollution
(Scotland) Act (c.66). See 1963.
Fraudulent Mediums Act (14&15 Geo.VI, c.33) repealed the Witchcraft Act 1735.
International Sanitary Regulations replaced the previous conventions. See 1969.
Ministry of Local Government and Planning (later Housing and Local Government)
replaced the Ministry of Town and County Planning and became responsible for local
government, housing, town and country planning, environmental public health (excluding the
appointments and duties of medical officers of health and sanitary inspectors). The
government increased housing subsidies and pledged to build 300,000 houses per year. The
minister of health ceased to be a member of the Cabinet. See 1962.
Report of the Committee of Enquiry on Industrial Health Services, Cmd.8170,
(chairman, ET Dale, see 1948) recommended expansion of industrial health services by
voluntary provision by employers; that the current ban on substantial development of
industrial health services should be lifted; and that there should eventually be some
comprehensive provision for occupational health services. See 1972.
Report of the Committee on Medical Auxiliaries, Cmd.8188, (chairman Mr V Zachary
Cope, 1881-1974). Individual committees considered almoners (later medical social
workers), chiropodists, dietitians, laboratory technicians, occupational therapists,
physiotherapists, remedial gymnasts, speech therapists and radiographers. The main
committee recommended a national council with statutory professional committees to
maintain registers of "medical auxiliaries" qualified for employment in the National Health
Service, and that only persons so registered should be employed in the Service. See 1960.
Report of the Committee on Social Workers in the Mental Health Services, Cmd.8260,
(chairman JM Mackintosh, 1891-1966, professor of public health at the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) made recommendations about recruitment and training; and
advised that the term "psychiatric social worker" should be restricted to persons holding a
university mental health certificate; and that authorities should be prepared to employ married
women social workers on a part-time basis. See 1959.
Scottish Health Services Council issued a report "What Local Authorities Can Do To
Promote Health and Prevent Disease" which was intended to correct the "temporary lack of
appreciation of the high value of the preventive services". See 1952.
"Hospital Morbidity Statistics. Inpatient Discharges" by D Mackay published by the
General Register Office. See 1953.
Pilot studies began to develop methods of collecting and analysing information from
general practitioners' records. See 1953.
Scottish Hospital In-Patient Statistics (SHIPS) introduced in one region in Scotland;
extended to all regions in 1961.
Leprosy became notifiable.
First course started at the Hospital Administrative Staff College (King's Fund).
"The Cost of Sickness and the Price of Health" by C-EA Winslow (professor of public
health, Yale University, USA) published by the World Health Organization, set out the