London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Kensington 1920

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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36
Infant Consultation Sessions are held by medical officers in the afternoons; they commence
about 2 p.m. and continue until 4 or 5 p.m. At all Centres there are two sessions per week, the
number at Bramley Road being large owing to the fact that in addition to the two weekly sessions
at Bramley Road Centre itself, there is one weekly session at the Branch in Kenley Street.
Special Ante-natal Sessions are held in the afternoons at Archer Street, Campden Hill,
Lancaster Road and Raymede and at the other three Centres expectant mothers are seen privately
on infant consultation days. Daring the year, only 347 women attended the ante-natal consultations,
paying 985 visits, but these figures include 152 attendances at Raymede by nursing mothers
who visited the doctor for special advice on "ante-natal" days. Many expectant mothers attended
for dinners, lectures, etc., but the figures relate to medical consultations only.
At first sight, the numbers appear disappointing, but it must be remembered that ante-natal
work at Welfare Centres is a new departure and is not yet known to all the expectant mothers.
Owing to a natural shyness on the part of many young women expecting their first child, they
do not readily attend the Centres at present, but their reluctance will gradually disappear when
they realise that all the ante-natal consultations are held by lady doctors. Midwives are
encouraged to send their poor class mothers to the nearest Welfare Centres for at least one
examination and arrangements have been made for the doctor to return the patient with a written
report for the midwive's guidance.
The Home Visiting figures given in the preceding table do not include any paid by the
Borough Health Visitors.
The numbers, which vary considerably in the different areas, depend to a large extent on the
staff available for the purpose. For example, at Golborne and Lancaster Road Centres the Sisterin-charge
is also Matron of the attached Day Nursery and in each case she has very little time for
visiting.
Other Activities. Health talks on consultation afternoons or lectures on other afternoons are
given at all the Centres, and other activities include minor treatment of simple ailments, sewing
classes, cooking classes, the provision of free or cheap dinners for mothers and children, baths for
mothers, thrift clubs, etc. Dried milk, supplied under the Council's scheme, is distributed from
the Centres.
Dental Treatment. The importance of good teeth both to the mother and her child cannot be
over estimated and there is no doubt that the national physique and happiness are dependent to a
considerable extent on efficient dental treatment at reasonable charges.
During the year, five of the Infant Welfare Centres provided dental treatment (including the
supply of dentures) for expectant and nursing mothers who were unable to pay the ordinary
dentists' fees for the treatment they needed.
Each Welfare Centre endeavoured to make the scheme of dental treatment practically selfsupporting
by charging such fees as the mothers could pay and by obtaining the dentures at a very
low rate.
Although the dentures were generally not more than £4 to £b for a complete set, they were
usually very well made and gave considerable satisfaction.

TABLE SHEWING THE AMOUNT OF DENTAL TREATMENT PERFORMED AT THE VARIOUS CENTRES IN 1920.

Centre.No. of patients.No. of attendances.Extractions.Fillings.Dentures.Other Treatments.
Campden Hill and Archer Street7716415280620
Bramley Road551672632428
Lancaster Road2666921076
Golborne153220235
Raymede201575195122720
37410047221287151

TELFORD ROAD CLINIC.
This institution acts both as a Treatment Centre and an Infant Welfare Centre, but it is not an
Infant Welfare Centre in the same sense as the other seven; nevertheless, much valuable work is
performed by this unit.
The following are records for the year ending December 31st, 1920:—
1. No. of sessions at which doctors attended for infant consultations 150
2. Number of sessions at which doctors attended for special ante and
natal consultations 50
3. No. of individual children under 5 years who attended for the first time 711
4. Total number of children's attendances at infant consultations. (Only
those counted at which the child saw the doctor.) 6805
5. Number of individual expectant and nursing mothers who attended for
the first time 163
6. Total number of expectant mothers attendances for consultations.
(Only those counted at which the mother saw the doctor.) 795