CLERK'S DEPARTMENT: HEALTH SERVICE

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: MCC/CL/HS
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: CLERK'S DEPARTMENT: HEALTH SERVICE
Date(s)	: 1921-1965
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 25.81 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: MCC | Middlesex County Council x Middlesex County Council

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

From 1918 the Middlesex County Council was responsible for maternity and child welfare services, and, from 1948, became responsible throughout the County for health centres, care of mothers and young children, midwifery, health visiting, home nursing, vaccination and immunisation, the ambulance service, the prevention of illness, care and after care and community mental health services. In 1945 the Council took over the school health service.

The County Health Service introduced a building programme for new or replacement clinics - 22 purpose built clinics with modern facilities were opened between 1948 and 1963. Immunisation programmes were expanded to include smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and poliomyelitis. Chiropody, geriatric, audiology and cerebral palsy clinics were provided. The ambulance service was improved with the building of a new central control equipped with radio, teleprinters and key and lamp units. Community services for the disabled were increased, including schools with special care units for severely handicapped children, adult training centres, including 3 in factories, days centres, hostels and so on. Training facilities were also introduced for health services staff including health visitors, district nurses, nursery nurses, midwives, mental welfare officers and teachers of the disabled.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Middlesex County Council Clerk's Department relating to health services, 1921-1965, including registers of nursing homes; register of mental nursing homes; registers of guardianship cases; register of nurseries; registers of child minders; register of lying-in homes; register of approved practitioners under the Mental Health Act 1959; register of Ambulance Service property; correspondence regarding the supply of nurses badges and certificates; samples of nurses badges for West Middlesex County Hospital, Central Middlesex County Hospital, North Middlesex County Hospital, Hillingdon County Hospital and Middlesex County nursing service; papers relating to individual nursing homes (please see catalogue for full list).

Administrative files including general enquiries; constitution of the Health Committee; constitution of the Local Area Committees of the Health Committee; papers relating to the transfer of hospitals to the Ministry of Health; papers relating to the treatment of patients with cerebral palsy; papers relating to the School Health Service; papers relating to the care of the physically disabled; publicity for local health services; papers relating to geriatric services and the care of chronically sick elderly people; papers relating to domestic assistance for elderly people; papers relating to properties owned by the Health Service; complaints from the public; papers relating to marriage guidance agencies; radioactive notifications; papers of the Staff Committee; papers relating to health centres and clinics; papers relating to the care of young children and mothers; papers relating to child health services; papers relating to the dental service; papers relating to nursing including District Nurses and midwives; papers regarding the vaccination and immunisation policy; papers on the Ambulance Service; case papers from the domestic help service; mental health individual guardianship cases; papers regarding special schools, training schools and occupation centres for the physically or mentally disabled; papers regarding mental health and welfare services; papers relating to the regulation of nurseries and child minders; staff training; papers on area medical officers of health and their deputies; papers regarding health control services at airports and papers relating to the reorganisation of local government, 1965.

Papers of the Ambulance Service including separation of the Fire Service and Ambulance Service; responsibility for transport; complaints and appreciations made by members of the public; liaison with the Metropolitan Police; trade union representation; purchase and maintenance of vehicles; uniforms; communications; ambulance depots and stations; statistics; staff conditions of service and staff training.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

MCC/CL/HS/01: Registers; MCC/CL/HS/02: Nurses badges; MCC/CL/HS/03: Nursing homes; MCC/CL/HS/04: Administration; MCC/CL/HS/05: Ambulance.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Acquired with the records of its parent authority, the Middlesex County Council, and with successor authorities.

Allied Materials

Related material:

For the Ambulance Service see also MCC/CL/FB. For District Medical Officers see MCC/CL/DMO. Papers of the Health Department are reference MCC/HS.

Publication note:

For further information on the history of the Middlesex County Council please see Middlesex by Sir Clifford Radcliffe (2 editions, 1939 and 1953), LMA Library reference 97.09 MID; and The County Council of the Administrative County of Middlesex: 76 years of local government, 1 April 1889 to 31 March 1965, by Middlesex County Council (1965), LMA library reference S97.09 MID.

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
April to June 2009