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

1976 Cont 3 - 1977
1976 cont community physicians can function effectively as community epidemiologists and
medical managers at the same time". See 1986.
1977 National Health Service Act (c.49) consolidated the legislation relating to the NHS in
England and Wales, and provided powers for the Government to set up special health
authorities. See 1980.
Rent Act (c.42) consolidated previous legislation. See 1980.
Protection from Eviction Act (c.43) consolidated those parts of the Rent Acts 1957 and
1965 relating to harassment, eviction and notices to quit, and made it illegal to evict a lawful
tenant without a court order for possession.
Housing (Homeless Persons) Act (c.48) extended the duties of local authorities to
house homeless people and transferred the responsibility from social services departments to
housing departments. See 1978.
White Paper on local government finance published. See 1981.
A Report from the Central Policy Review Staff "Relations between Central
Government and Local Authorities" recommended that more effort should be made to
develop inter-departmental thinking about policies; that there should be greater flexibility
between capital programmes; that the Department of the Environment should be the normal
contact point in Whitehall for local authorities wanting to discuss problems going beyond the
boundaries of any single service; that central departments should be more equally represented
in the regions; and that there should be more joint training and movement of staff between
central and local government.
Health Services Board established to phase out private beds from NHS hospitals (see
1976). See 1980.
A Report from the Expenditure Committee of the House of Commons contained an
extensive review of preventive medicine; and made many detailed recommendations
including the suggestion that area health authorities should make public the proportion of
their budgets they devote to preventive services. See below.
The White Paper "Prevention and Health", Cmnd.7047, set out the Government's
policies and action regarding health education; smoking; child health; preventive dentistry;
food and diet; exercise; misuse of alcohol and drugs; family planning; pollution; and
accidents. See 1981.
The Department of Health and Social Security published "The Way Forward", which
reviewed progress, and modified and extended the strategy set out in the Priorities paper
1976. Against a deteriorating economic situation the priorities remained to redistribute
resources geographically; to achieve a national pattern of the main services; to improve the
quality of services for the care of children, and of elderly, mentally ill, mentally handicapped,
and physically disabled people; and to fund effective new treatments. See 1980.
The Scottish Home and Health Department published "Scottish Health Authorities
Revenue Equalisation" (SHARE) introducing a needs-based formula for the allocation of
resources to replace the supply-based approach. This was the Scottish equivalent to the
English RAWP report (1976).
A Sub-Committee (chairman, WH Trethowan) of the former Standing Mental Health
Advisory Committee reported on "The Role of Psychologists in the Health Services".
Report on the enquiry into the management of the Mary Dendy Hospital and of the
treatment of patients therein published. See 1978.
The General Nursing Council published "Educational Policy 1977" which laid down