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

1976 Cont 2
1976 cont admission and discharge procedures, spiritual needs, visiting, amenities and
recreation, avoidable nuisances, communication, and catering.
The Working Party on Social Work Services in the Scottish Health Service (chairman,
JAM Mitchell) set out proposals for close collaboration between general practice and
hospitals and social services departments.
The Working Party on Integrating the Disabled (chairman, Lord Snowdon), established
by the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases stated that: "Integration for the
disabled means a thousand things. It means the absence of segregation. It means social
acceptance. It means being able to be treated like everybody else. It means the right to work,
to go to the cinema, to enjoy outdoor sport, to have a family life, a social life and a love life,
to contribute materially to the community, to have the usual choices of association,
movement and activity, to go on holiday to the usual places, to be educated up to university
level with one's unhandicapped peers, to travel without fuss on public transport". The report
reviewed all these aspects and concluded that much remained to be done to improve the
quality of life of many disabled people. See 1985.
Reports were published of committees of enquiry into allegations of maltreatment and
mismanagement in St. Augustine's Hospital, Canterbury, the Memorial Hospital, Darlington,
and Warlingham Park Hospital, Surrey. See 1977.
The Royal College of Physicians of London published a report on "Fluoride, Teeth and
Health" which strongly supported the addition of fluoride to water supplies with fluoride
levels appreciably below 1 mg. per litre. See below and 1983.
The Hospital Advisory Service (see 1969) became the Health Advisory Service and its
remit was extended to community services and to services for older people. See 1997.
A Working Group on the Evaluation of the Quality of Medical Care (chairman, Sir
Douglas Black) sponsored by the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust published its report
entitled "A Question of Quality? Roads to Assurance in Medical Care".
In "The Role of Medicine" T McKeown (see 1966) argued that "misinterpretation of
the major influences, particularly personal medical care, on past and future improvements in
health has led to misuse of resources and distortion of the role of medicine"; revised in 1979.
The Board of Science and Education of the British Medical Association issued a report
on "The Care of the Elderly". See 1978.
The South West Water Authority rejected an application from the Cornwall Area
Health Authority to introduce fluoridation. See 1983.
Cambridge University opened a clinical medical school at Addenbrook's Hospital.
St George's Hospital Medical School, London, moved to Tooting; the hospital at Hyde
Park Corner was closed in 1980.
Rabies and viral haemorrhagic fever became notifiable.
The wearing of seat belts in cars became compulsory.
A Royal Commission on the National Health Service was appointed in May. See 1979.
"Higher Education for Public Health", a report of the Milbank Memorial Fund
Commission(chairman, C Sheps) called for a better qualified cadre of professional personnel
capable of coping with the complex and changing problems of public health; and made
recommendations for changes in the organisation, curricula and training programmes of
schools of public health.
"Community Medicine in England and Scotland" by AS Yerby, published by the US
Department of Heath, Education and Welfare, concluded that "it appears unlikely that