HEALTH COMMITTEE

Scope and Content

Statutory committee appointed under the National Health Service Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. VI c. 81) whereby county and county borough councils were designated Local Health Authorities responsible for providing services including health centres, maternity and child welfare, health visiting, home nursing and midwifery, vaccination and immunisation, ambulance services, care and after-care of the sick, domestic help and mental health services. The Act required Local Health Authorities to submit schemes to the Minister of Health. The Health Committee was reconstituted in May 1964 when the Council's health and welfare departments were combined and the Welfare Committee dissolved (see CC1/35). Responsibility for welfare homes and other social services was transferred to the new Social Services Committee in April 1971 (see CC1/42). Under the Local Government Act 1972 and National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973 responsibility for most of the health services provided by Local Health Authorities was transferred to the new Regional and Area Health Authorities in April 1974.