Item Type: Series

Linked To

Organisation

Sydney City Council

Related series

Creating agencies

Related activities

Personnel and employee management and services

Box

Boxes in this Series (69)

Series

Succeeding series (2)

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Medical History Cards, 1917-1994

Description

Unique IDAS-0349DateBetween 1st January 1917 and 30th June 1994Date qualifiercircaFormatCardShort descriptionFrom 1917 all applicants for employment with Council were subject to a medical examination. This card series, 1917-1994, is for successful applicants and includes key information such as: name, sex, year of birth, date of beginning of employment with Council, marital status, date employment ended, position and department appointed to, and space for up to four records of examination before promotion to other positions. DescriptionIn 1917, Council determined that all applicants for admission into Council's employ should be subject to a medical examination, and no appointment made until a certificate of physical fitness was furnished by the City Health Officer. (Resolution of Council 12 February 1917).

This card series appears to date from that decision. A card was raised for each successful applicant recording the following details: name, sex, year of birth, date of beginning of employment with Council, marital status, date employment ended, position and department appointed to, and space for up to four records of examination before promotion to other positions. Below these details, seven columns were printed for recording dates of absences, numbers of days lost, description of sickness or injury causing absence, by whom diagnosed (name of doctor, hospital or staff), and a remarks column which is used to record the relevant file number.

In 1926 when the Workers Compensation Act was passed, Council decided to cover its liabilities as a self-insurer. The City Health Officer (a part-time position combined with the State Metropolitan Officer of Health) became responsible for examination of employees seeking compensation for injuries or diseases arising from work. These absences and examinations are also recorded in the medical history cards but are distinguished by two things: they are recorded in red ink and the file reference under the ‘Remarks’ column is to an annual single number series, Workers' Compensation Files (AS-0146).

In 1949 the organisation of the City Health Department was reviewed and overhauled. The City Medical Officer's Department was separated from the engineering and education aspects of municipal health and the head of the new Department appointed as a full-time officer, the City Medical Officer.
This change in administrative arrangements is reflected in the medical history cards by the references to the Sick Pay Claim Files. These were identified by a single number and SPC prefix system which seems to have been introduced in 1949.

The details completed on the medical history cards are taken from the sick pay claim forms (which are then placed in sick pay claim files) and transcribed by Medical Department clerks. Almost the same information from the forms is recorded on the staff record cards (AS-0081), omitting the detail of who made the diagnosis (the staff record cards record other leave and service details). The cards are modified from time to time - in the 1940s they became orange and the whole of the reverse side was devoted to recording the employee's visits to the City Medical Officer, required after five days sick leave. They are maintained in alphabetical order by employees' names, so they can function as an index to the sick pay claim files.

In 1989, Sydney City Council was split by the City of Sydney Act 1988 to form two Councils - Sydney City Council and South Sydney City Council. Under a cross-servicing agreement the City Medical Officer of Sydney City Council provided medical services to employees of South Sydney City Council (many of these were former employees of Sydney City Council). The medical history cards for South Sydney City Council employees were separated from the rest.

On 1 July 1994, the Medical Unit ceased operations and the medical history cards were transferred to Archives. There are five sequences of cards in Archives. The first dates from circa 1917-1980, the second covers ex-employees as at 1994, the third employees born before 1929, the fourth current employees of Sydney City Council as at 1994, the fifth current employees of South Sydney City Council as at 1994.

Kieren Turner, Manager of Employee Relations, advised the Archives Section in August 1994 that medical cards would no longer be raised for employees. Salaried staff would no longer be required to pass a medical examination before employment. Wages staff (outside workers) may be required to undergo an examination but the papers would be filed in their employee service files (AS-0675).

The series was created by:
-the City Health Department (AG-0073)for the period 01/01/1917 to 07/08/1949
-Medical (AG-0002) in the period 08/08/1949 to 30/06/1994.
Relationship summaryRELATED TO: Personnel and employee management and services AY-0070 (01/01/1917 to 30/06/1994)
RELATED TO: Staff Record Cards AS-0081 (01/01/1917 to 30/06/1994)
RELATED TO: Compensation Claim Registers AS-0410 (01/01/1920 to 01/01/1994)
RELATED TO: Hearing Cards AS-0821 (01/01/1917 to 01/01/1994)
RELATED TO: Temporary Staff Cards AS-0943 (01/01/1965 to 01/01/1993)
LanguageEnglish (eng)

Series

South Sydney City Council Staff Medical Cards, 1994-2004

Employee Service Files, 1961

Access

Public access statusClosed to public accessPublic access noteCards are restricted for 70 years from the last date on the record.

Identification and Arrangement

Source system ID349System of arrangementAlphabetical

Digitisation

Digitisation statusNot digitised

Data Quality

Authenticity & integrityThese are the original medical history cards created by the Municipal Council of Sydney/City of Sydney. The record has been held in the Council’s custody and has a high level of authenticity. Users should be aware that this is an historical record and the language used within the record was the language of the time it was captured, and may not reflect current community values or expectations.

Relationships

OrganisationSydney City CouncilRelated seriesTemporary Staff CardsHearing CardsCompensation Claim Registers, 1920-1970Staff Record Cards, 1895-1994 [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney]Creating agenciesMedicalCity Health DepartmentRelated activitiesPersonnel and employee management and services

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Medical History Cards, 1917-1994