London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Wandsworth 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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Occasional creches
These creches are provided for the children of mothers who
are attending a clinic or class on the premises and also give
occasional relief to mothers who for various reasons, such as visits
to hospitals, shopping, laundering and other domestic duties, wish
to be relieved of their young children for two or three hours during
the day. In addition, they provide an opportunity for an only
child to mix with other children of similar age. During the year
447 creche sessions were held in the centres and attendances
numbered 8,004.
Medical advice is sought by the Children's Officer whenever a child in care is being considered for adoption or boarding-out. The number of cases dealt with during the year, and the decisions reached, were as follows:—
| Adoption cases: | |
| Suitable for adoption | 23 |
| Suitable for adoption subject to certain conditions | 1 |
| Boarding-out cases: | |
| Suitable for boarding-out | 4 |
| Suitable for boarding-out subject to certain conditions | — |
| Total | 28 |
In addition, medical advice was sought in respect of 34 prospective
adopters.
Health Surveys
From time to time surveys are carried out by "outside"
organizations on some aspect of health or on the growth and
development of children and the Health Department is asked to
assist. These surveys usually mean a great deal of extra work for
the staff and they may be very time-consuming but it is felt that
wherever possible we must give all the help we can in the hope
that the mass of detailed information provided will contribute to
the success of the research or survey and thus add to our knowledge
of health problems.
Details of some of the surveys in which the department has
participated during the year are given below:—
National Survey of Health and Development
This study was started in 1946, when every woman who bore
a child in the first week of March of that year was interviewed
as part of a survey of the economic and social aspects of childbearing.
Five thousand of these babies have been followed up
from birth with the aid of school nurses, health visitors, teachers.