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
Islington 1924
Sixty-ninth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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1924 14
WORK OF THE CENTRES GENERALLY.
The routine work of the centres is undertaken by staffs consisting of doctors,
dentists, nurses and masseuses, supplemented by voluntary workers, the consultations
being held practically daily, when the babies are examined and weighed
and the mothers advised. Home visits are made by the nurses and voluntary
workers who give guidance and see that the directions of the doctor are followed.
The work is carried out systematically, careful records being kept so that the
health of the child and the ante-natal history of the mother, as far as available,
can be passed on to the education authorities when the child becomes of school age.
Apart from the clinics and consultations for mothers and children are efforts
which show well-organised educational propaganda, comprising clubs for thrift,
holidays, home-helps, and dental treatment.
Individual centres slightly vary in their social methods. For instance, one
has a library for mothers and children, while some, under the auspices of committees
of fathers, mothers or parents, provide lectures, which are well attended
and at which opportunities are given for questions and discussions.
These activities are in addition to the routine of health talks and sewing
classes for teaching and making of suitable garments, held at all the centres.
Several of the centres are recognised for the training of infant welfare students
and of infant welfare pupils, scholarship holders of the London County Council.
Some provide home-helps; two, indoor treatment for special cases; and all
arrange facilities for hospital treatment, convalescence, etc.
The various departments of the four voluntary Centres, with the attendances for 1924, may be summarised thus:—
| North. | South. | East. | West. | Total. | |
| 1. Ante-Natal Clinics and Ailing Mother Clinics. | |||||
| Number held weekly | 3 | 1½* | 1 | 1 | 6½* |
| Number of attendances | 1,529 | 639 | 353 | 618 | 3,139 |
| 2. Consultation for Children up to 5 Years of Age. | |||||
| Number held weekly | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 31 |
| Number of attendances | 14,607 | 15,446 | 13,476 | 16,015 | 59,544 |
| 3. Home Visiting. | |||||
| Number of visits made | 12,803 | 10,225 | 10,769 | 6,863 | 40,660 |
| 4. Dental Clinics. | |||||
| Number attending | 413 | 164 | 74 | 50 | 701 |
| Number of attendances or arrangements made for attendances | 1,278 | 301 | 122 | 108 | 1,809 |
| 5. Morning Callers. | |||||
| Number of attendances | 864 | 368 | 192 | 937 | 2,361 |
| 6. Massage Clinics. | |||||
| Number of cases given massage | 86 | – | 108 | 35 | 305 |
| or sent for massage | – | 76 | – | – | |
| 7. Wards. | |||||
| Number of beds | 18 | – | – | 8 | 26 |
| Number of patients received | 173 | – | – | 113 | 286 |
| 8. Number of Children on Books | 1,837 | 1,578 | 1,216 | 1,006 | 5,637 |
* Two clinics one week; one following week = 1½ weekly.