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

School Boards (Scotland) Act (c.47) made new provisions for the government of
schools in Scotland. See 1996.
1988 Cont 1
1988 cont Legal Aid Act (c.34) amended the law relating to legal aid and the administration
of legal aid. See 1999.
Housing Act (c.50) amended the Rent Act 1977 and the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976;
made provisions for houses let on tied tenancies or occupied under licence; and established
Housing for Wales with functions related to housing agencies. See 1989 and 1991.
Housing (Scotland) Act (c.43) established Scottish Homes; and made various
regulations regarding houses let on tenancies.
Road Traffic Act (c.52) consolidated previous acts.
Road Traffic Offenders Act (c.53) consolidated and amended acts relating to the
prosecution and punishment of road traffic offenders.
Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Rear Seat Belts by Children) Act (c.23).
Coroners Act (c.13) consolidated previous acts.
Community Health Councils (Access to Information) Act (c.24) provided a right of
access for the public to meetings of the councils and to information relating to the councils.
Health and Medicines Act (c.49) introduced charges for eye tests and dental check-ups;
compulsory retirement for elderly general practitioners; replaced the General Finance
Corporation; introduced cash limits for certain items of expenditure by family practitioner
committees; gave health authorities powers to raise money from a wide variety of sources and
activities; and empowered the Secretary of State to make regulations about HIV testing kits
and services. See 1992.
Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations made meningococcal septicaemia,
mumps and rubella notifiable diseases.
"The Conduct of Local Authority Business", Cm.433, accepted most of the
recommendations of the Widdicombe report (1986) and recommended a register of
councillors' pecuniary interests; prohibition of employees of one authority being members of
another; abolition of co-opted members on most council committees; easier access to
information for members of opposition parties; and fair representation of parties on council
committees.
"Public Health in England", Cm.289, the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the
Future Development of the Public Health Function (chairman, Sir Donald Acheson)
recommended that a small unit should be established within the Department of Health to
monitor the health of the public; that regional and district directors of public health should
issue annual reports; collaboration should be improved between district directors of public
health and chief environmental health officers; that the director of public health should be the
chief source of medical advice to the health authority; and changes in training programmes
for specialists in community medicine.
The Scottish Home and Health Department issued a circular, "Community Medicine in
Scotland", setting out the role and organisation of the specialty in Scotland.
Sir Roy Griffiths, in his report "Community Care: Agenda for Action", recommended
that a minister of state in the Department of Health should have responsibility for community
care; that the duties of local social services authorities for community care should be made
clear; and collaboration between the local social services authorities and the health authorities
should be improved and formalised; and that a new grade of "community carer" should be
developed with appropriate training so that one person can provide whatever personal and
practical assistance an individual client requires. See 1989.