Department of Health and Social Security and predecessors: Disablement Services Branch:...

Registered files concerning the provision of services to Artificial Limb and Appliance Centres (ALACs) by the Disablement Services Branch of the Supply Division of the Ministry of Pensions and its successors. The files bear the prefix WHG which stands for Warbreck Hill General Hospital, the secretariat for ALAC services. Most files relate to the Invalid Vehicle Service.

Records concerning the health responsibilities of the Ministry of Pensions (including hospitals for war pensioners) are in MH 120

Other records of the Disablement Services Branch will be found in PIN 38

• Department of Health and Social Security, 1968-1988
• Ministry of Health, Disablement Services Branch, 1953-1968
• Ministry of Pensions, Disablement Services Branch, 1946-1953

From 1994 Department of Health and Social Security

Topics

Pay and pensions

Hospitals

Section 28 of the National Health Service Act 1946 made provision for the supply of medical and surgical appliances to war pensioners and patients with permanent or semi-permanent disabilities. Upon creation of the NHS in 1948, the Ministry of Pensions (which had previously supplied such services to the war disabled) continued to supply limbs, vehicles and appliances to NHS patients on behalf of the Ministry of Health. With the abolition of the Ministry of Pensions in 1953, such services became directly administered by the Ministry of Health.

Limbs, appliances and vehicles were dispensed through Artificial Limb and Appliance Centres (ALACs) of which there were 30 in England. In Scotland a similar service was provided by the Health Boards of the Scottish Home and Health Department, whilst in Wales responsibility for ALAC services passed to the Welsh Office.

The Disablement Services Branch of the Ministry of Pensions and the Ministry of Health (and its successors) operated as part of the Supply Division.