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Everyone who lives or works in Chelsea is invited to make full
use of the public sessions at the Mass X-Ray Centre at the Western
Hospital, Particulars about the visits of Mobile Units in the
Chelsea area can be obtained from the Headquarters Office, Western
Hospital, Seagrave Road, S,W,6,, telephone: FULham 9311 Ext, 39,
CENTRE FOR SPASTIC CHILDREN - 61/62 Cheyne Walk,
The Secretary of the Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management
Committee has kindly supplied the following report on the work of the
Centre for Spastic Children during 1964:-
One of the establishments under the control of the Chelsea and
Kensington Hospital Management Committee, the Centre has had another
busy year treating children suffering from cerebral palsy, Over 70
children attend regularly and receive treatment as necessary in the
form of physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy and speech
therapy,
Routine neurological examination is coupled with psychological
and audiological tests and the specialist services of other Consultants
in the hospital group are readily available, e,g, ophthalmology,
orthopaedic surgery, etc,
The London County Council Special School which forms part of the
Centre comprises two classes, both of which have their full complement
of fifteen children and for the first time in ten years there is a
waiting list of children for admission, Until such time as they can
be accepted for the School these children attend the Centre for
therapy,
The Special Care Unit which deals with ineducable children has
also had a busy year, These children, who cannot benefit from normal
educational activities, are trained to acquire self-reliance in basic
functions such as feeding, toilet, dressing, etc, An interesting
development here has been the acceptance for assessment of a small
group of children whose mothers contracted Rubella during pregnancy
and who have severe hearing and visual defects and a defective heart
condition,
It is an underlying principle that children attending the
Centre shall not be resident and thus shall not be deprived of the
benefit of their home environment, This presents a great problem in
transportation to and from the Centre daily and a second vehicle was
acquired during the year which now enables children to be collected
from contiguous areas north and south of the Thames, Other children
are brought to the Centre by parents and by the Ambulance and Hospital
Car Services,
The Hostel, next door, which is run by the Friends of the Centre,
provides accommodation from Monday to Friday for up to six children
for whom the daily journey would be impracticable or for a mother and
child who have to attend for a few days for complete assessment of
the child, Owing to increasing demand for this facility, the Friends
have agreed to extend the accommodation,