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Health Visitors continued to give courses of lectures at three senior girls' schools as part
of the school curriculum covering such subjects as parentcraft, dangers of smoking, personal
hygiene, etc. This is one way in which a male health visitor would be of great help in dealing
with the equally necessary education of senior boys in health matters. Child development talks
were also given to mothers with children attending St. Andrews Play Group, Sidcup.
The following table shows that about a quarter of the expectant mothers in the Borough
attended ante natal sessions run by health visitors. The average number of attendances for each
expectant mother at these sessions was four and a half. Some ante natal work is done in maternity
hospitals and units but mostly it is carried out by general medical practitioners. The attachment
of health visitors to general practices is likely to bring about an improvement in these figures.

The following table shows the other main activities of the health visitor during the year.
Visiting by tradition and definition is an essential part of the work of the health visitor, yet
during the year it only accounted for about one third of her time, the remainder being used
for clinic sessions of various kinds and some clerical work. Concentration of effort at clinics
and health centres is desirable but health visiting itself still remains vital and if anything should
be sacrificed, it should be some of the clerical work which in the year was reported by the
health visitors to amount to nine per cent of her time.