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Operative Treatment of Tonsils and Adenoids.
Arrangements have been made by which cases can be treated
at the Harrow and Wealdstone Hospital at a cost of two guineas,
the patient being admitted the night before the operation and
detained for 48 hours after it. Only one child was treated under
this scheme during the year.
Convalescent Homes.
Three children and one mother were admitted to convalescent
homes.
Home Nursing.
Arrangements were made with the Harrow, Wealdstone and
Harrow Weald District Nursing Association by which the local
authority undertook to be responsible for the payment of the
nursing fees of those of limited means who came within the scope
of the maternity and child welfare scheme, the infants' diseases
including ophthalmia neonatorum, pemphigus, measles, etc., and
in mothers, conditions such as puerperal infection. The charges
agreed were 2s. 6d. per visit to cases of ophthalmia neonatorum and
puerperal sepsis, but if more than one visit was paid in a day
1s. 6d. for subsequent visits ; and for other diseases, such as measles
or whooping cough, etc., 1s. 6d. per visit. During the year the
local authority was responsible, under this arrangement, for the
payment of the fees of two patients.
INFANT LIFE PROTECTION.
Each Health Visitor acts as Infant Protection Visitor for her
area and is responsible for the supervision of foster children. On
receipt of a notice of intention to undertake the care of foster
children, the premises are visited by the Sanitary Inspector. If
there are no sanitary defects and the addition of another occupant
would not result in overcrowding a report is called for from the
Health Visitor. Thereafter quarterly routine visits are paid by
the Health Visitor in addition to any special visits that may be
required. Foster mothers give an undertaking to keep the children
under periodical medical supervision, either at one of the infant
welfare centres or by their own medical attendants. In May the
Council adopted the following recommendation of the Public
Health Committee:— That in future no application to receive
more than three infants be granted unless bedroom accommodation
of at least 40 superficial feet floor space per infant, and separate
playroom accommodation, is provided.
In addition to the more usual cases of foster mothers caring
for one or more infants, there are two infants' homes in the district,
registered for the care of 18 and 20 babies.