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(6) That these beds be contracted for in one of the sanatoria, at a cost of about 30s.
per week when occupied and 20s. when not occupied, where suitable cases could receive
treatment.
(c) The purchase by the Council of three or four shelters which could be given on
loan to suitable cases for home treatment.
(d) The provision of a few single beds, which could be also given on loan in suitable
cases.
(e) That arrangements be made for the hire of an extra room in suitable cases, and
after report to the Public Health Committee by the Medical Officer as to the suitability
of the cases for such assistance.
Health Visitor.
As the duties outlined in this special report add considerably to the work of the Health
Visitor, it will be necessary to consider her duties with a view of appointing some one to assist in
carrying out the work.
The following table shows the work done by the Health Visitor during- the year ended
April 2nd, 1910:-
Table II.
Whole
Borough.
Bermondsey Wards.
Rotherhithe
Wards.
St. Olave
Wards.
1
2
3
6
1
2
3
St.
John
St.
Olave.
St.
Thomas.
5
4
Births Notified:-
I I
I I
I
I I
I
I
I
By Guy's Hospital
3
6
226
5
-
95
1,478
483
345
260
2
36
17
110
78
185
44
26
17
„ Mid wives
893
71
65
111
98
83
5
42
27
1
„ Doctors
886
28
32
96
161
115
179
156
48
1
„ Parents
937
40
69
114
153
118
115
192
69
23
3
1
40
4,194
622
511
581
427
337
386
171
57
24
484
161
Total
433
2,743
643
377
413
208
204
260
53
Births Visited:—
I
—
'!
—
—
"H
r~
I
rn
1 —
Primary Visits
288
74
64
138
21
20
37
15
18
4
–
Secondary Visits
344
113
68
58
11
–
–
11
6
Other Calls and Visits
98
19
16
13
11
6
10
6
–
–
–
3,185
775
461
484
239
285
80
57
64
162
21
Total Visits Paid
226
331
33
13
4
–
–
2
–
Insanitary Conditions reported
to Medical Officer of Health
4
6
–
2
1
1
Table 11. is compiled from the various reports given to the Committee from time to time, and
relates to the 52 weeks ended April 2nd, 1910. From this it will be seen that 4,194 births have
been notified in the Borough, and of these only 2,743 have received visits, the secondary visits being
344. As pointed out in all my annual reports, 95 per cent, of the population of this Borough consist
of the working class, and there are very few houses where births occur which, in my opinion,
should be exempted from visits by the Health Visitor.
The number of secondary visits is small, and these for several reasons are quite as important
as the primary ones. In addition to the work shown in the table, the Health Visitor has her class
for mothers every Tuesday afternoon. She also has various calls and visits to make as the result of
complaints of the Care Committees of Schools.
There is also a very large number of complaints received about the verminous condition of
children attending schools (from November, 1909, to March, 1910, 435), necessitating visits to the
homes. Hitherto these have been attended to by the District Inspectors, but Ido not consider it at
all suitable work for male inspectors. In such cases it means not only visiting the home, but
examining the bedding and the clothing of the inmates, and this can only be done satisfactorily by
women inspectors.
Taking all these duties and the size of the Borough into consideration, it is absolutely
impossible for one Health Visitor to undertake all the work, and the very least I can recommend is
the appointment of another.
For administrative purposes I therefore recommend : —
(a) That the Borough be divided into two parts coterminous with the present
districts of the Food Inspectors.
(b) That a Health Visitor be appointed for each district.
(c) That their duties should be to pay a visit to every house where a birth occurs;
to pay secondary visits where necessary; to visit consumptives at such intervals as the
Medical Officer may, from his knowledge of the cases, consider necessary, and also
follow them up on changes of address; to visit homes where complaints are received as
to the verminous condition of inmates, in order to arrange for suitable measures to get
rid of the vermin; to visit homes where complaints are made by the School Care
Committees, and do such other work as may from time to time be required by the
Council.
Your obedient servant,
R. K. BROWN, M.D., Medical Officer of Health.