Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Annual report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford
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SUMMARY OF WORK OF HEALTH VISITORS.
A summary of the work done by the health visitors may be seen from the following table:—
1st visits | 2nd visits | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
Births | 1992 | 5338 | 7330 |
Still Births | 56 | 6 | 62 |
Infant Deaths | 131 | 9 | 140 |
Expectant Mothers | 140 | 149 | 289 |
Tuberculosis | 143 | 191 | 334 |
Verminous Children | 56 | 58 | 114 |
Scabies | 72 | 65 | 137 |
Opthalmia Neonatorum | 22 | 40 | 63 |
Measles | 1572 | 1566 | 3138 |
Miscellaneous | 1615 | 398 | 2013 |
Of the 1992 babies visited, 1800 were breast fed ; 124 hand fed ;
while 68 were both breast and hand fed, i.e., " mixed feeding."
The Committee are again indebted to the several ladies (Miss Bridges,
Mrs. Green, Miss Jacob, Mrs. Rivers, the Misses Warcup) who have so
regularly assisted the clinics and given valuable assistance, but more
are required. Owing to increased attendance at the clinics and the
small number of voluntary helpers, each health visitor was called upon
to attend at least two clinics per week. This took up an amount of
time that might have been profitably occupied in home visiting,
especially as the time spent in the clinics was on work which did not
call for all trained workers, e.g., the weighing of the babies, the sale
of dried milk, Virol, etc.
The Committee will also note with satisfaction the services of
Mrs. Dorothy Fynn, C.M.B., who rendered me valuable assistance as
a Health Visitor at a time when the staff of Health Visitors was
greatly reduced. She has since acted as a Health Visitor and attended
the clinics during the absence of members of the staff from illness, and
at a time when measles was very prevalent she helped in the inspections
of the homes.