Britain: An official handbook > 1956
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SOCIAL WELFARE
331
former mental health functions of the Board of Control and local authorities, except
for the quasi-judicial functions of the Board designed to safeguard the liberty of
the patient,1 (3) the conduct of research work into any matters relating to the
prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or mental defect, (4) a public health
laboratory service, and (5) a blood transfusion service. He has indirect responsi¬
bility for the establishment and maintenance of general practitioner services and all
other services. He is advised by the Central Health Services Council and by stand¬
ing advisory committees on various aspects of the Service.
The hospital and specialist services are administered through Regional Hospital
Boards and Hospital Management Committees or, in the case of teaching hospitals,
by Boards of Governors. The hospitals themselves have been grouped into admini¬
strative units; these consist sometimes of several formerly independent hospitals,
and sometimes of one. There are nearly 400 such groups under the control of
hospital management committees, which are in turn under the control of 14 regional
hospital boards. The regions are arranged so that the hospital and specialist services
can conveniently be associated with a university having a school of medicine.
The members of the hospital management committees are appointed by the
regional hospital board. The committees, by their constitution, reflect the com¬
munities concerned, for they usually include not only medical practitioners but
members of local authorities, trade unionists and others. The regional hospital
boards are appointed by the Minister and are similarly constituted. The term of
office is three years, one-third of the board or committee retiring each year but
being eligible for reappointment. The boards of governors of teaching hospitals are
appointed by the Minister, a proportion of the members being nominated by the
teaching faculty of the university, the regional hospital board and the medical staff.
All appointments to hospital management committees, regional hospital boards and
boards of governors are honorary.
Medical and dental schools are not under the control of the Minister. It is the
Minister’s responsibility to provide clinical facilities for the training of medical
students. The universities are responsible for the provision of teaching.
The administration of the General Medical, Dental, Pharmaceutical and Optical
Sendees (see p. 334) is in the hands of 138 Executive Councils, each covering the
area of a county or county borough. (In a few cases two areas are combined under
one council.) Each council has an Ophthalmic Services Committee responsible for
administering the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service. Doctors, dentists and
pharmacists are represented on the Executive Councils and each profession also
forms a local committee. Councils of counties and county boroughs are the 146 local
health authorities in charge of local health services (see pp. 334_7)>
In Scotland the Secretary of State for Scotland is the responsible Minister; 31
county councils and 24 town councils of large burghs are the local health authori¬
ties; hospital and specialist services are administered by five Regional Hospital
Boards appointed by the Secretary of State, assisted by 84 Boards of Management
1 The functions of the Minister include the supervision of local authorities in the per-
formance of their duties with regard to persons of unsound mind (see p. 336), the general
supervision of matters relating to mental defectives, and the licensing or other formal
approval of accommodation for mentally ill or defective patients outside the National
Health Service. The Board of Control deals with the admission, discharge and periodic
review of mentally disordered or defective patients and inspects all institutions for their
care, whether in or outside the National Health Service.
In February 1954 a Royal Commission was set up to inquire into the existing law and
administrative machinery in England and Wales governing the certification and care,
other than hospital care or treatment under the National Health Service Acts, of persons
suffering from mental illness or defect.
331
former mental health functions of the Board of Control and local authorities, except
for the quasi-judicial functions of the Board designed to safeguard the liberty of
the patient,1 (3) the conduct of research work into any matters relating to the
prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or mental defect, (4) a public health
laboratory service, and (5) a blood transfusion service. He has indirect responsi¬
bility for the establishment and maintenance of general practitioner services and all
other services. He is advised by the Central Health Services Council and by stand¬
ing advisory committees on various aspects of the Service.
The hospital and specialist services are administered through Regional Hospital
Boards and Hospital Management Committees or, in the case of teaching hospitals,
by Boards of Governors. The hospitals themselves have been grouped into admini¬
strative units; these consist sometimes of several formerly independent hospitals,
and sometimes of one. There are nearly 400 such groups under the control of
hospital management committees, which are in turn under the control of 14 regional
hospital boards. The regions are arranged so that the hospital and specialist services
can conveniently be associated with a university having a school of medicine.
The members of the hospital management committees are appointed by the
regional hospital board. The committees, by their constitution, reflect the com¬
munities concerned, for they usually include not only medical practitioners but
members of local authorities, trade unionists and others. The regional hospital
boards are appointed by the Minister and are similarly constituted. The term of
office is three years, one-third of the board or committee retiring each year but
being eligible for reappointment. The boards of governors of teaching hospitals are
appointed by the Minister, a proportion of the members being nominated by the
teaching faculty of the university, the regional hospital board and the medical staff.
All appointments to hospital management committees, regional hospital boards and
boards of governors are honorary.
Medical and dental schools are not under the control of the Minister. It is the
Minister’s responsibility to provide clinical facilities for the training of medical
students. The universities are responsible for the provision of teaching.
The administration of the General Medical, Dental, Pharmaceutical and Optical
Sendees (see p. 334) is in the hands of 138 Executive Councils, each covering the
area of a county or county borough. (In a few cases two areas are combined under
one council.) Each council has an Ophthalmic Services Committee responsible for
administering the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service. Doctors, dentists and
pharmacists are represented on the Executive Councils and each profession also
forms a local committee. Councils of counties and county boroughs are the 146 local
health authorities in charge of local health services (see pp. 334_7)>
In Scotland the Secretary of State for Scotland is the responsible Minister; 31
county councils and 24 town councils of large burghs are the local health authori¬
ties; hospital and specialist services are administered by five Regional Hospital
Boards appointed by the Secretary of State, assisted by 84 Boards of Management
1 The functions of the Minister include the supervision of local authorities in the per-
formance of their duties with regard to persons of unsound mind (see p. 336), the general
supervision of matters relating to mental defectives, and the licensing or other formal
approval of accommodation for mentally ill or defective patients outside the National
Health Service. The Board of Control deals with the admission, discharge and periodic
review of mentally disordered or defective patients and inspects all institutions for their
care, whether in or outside the National Health Service.
In February 1954 a Royal Commission was set up to inquire into the existing law and
administrative machinery in England and Wales governing the certification and care,
other than hospital care or treatment under the National Health Service Acts, of persons
suffering from mental illness or defect.
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| Britain and UK handbooks > Britain: An official handbook > 1956 > (361) |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/205500960 |
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| Description | 'Britain: An official handbook' was produced annually by the Central Office of Information from 1954-1998. There are 44 volumes available here to view. |
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| Shelfmark | GII.11 |
| Description | Three titles produced by the British Government from 1954-2005 describing 'how Britain worked'. They are: 'Britain: An official handbook' (1954-1998), 'Britain: The official yearbook of the United Kingdom' (1999-2001), and 'UK: The official yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' (2002-2005). These 50 reports provide an overview of Britain's economic, social and cultural affairs, its environment, international relations, and the systems of government. They give an impartial summary of government policies and initiatives, and explain how public services are organised. |
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