View report page

70
Twenty-five (additional) notifications were received, on Council's Cards, of births occurring
in other boroughs, from midvvives residing in Kensington. These cards were forwarded to the
Medical Officers of Health of the several boroughs where the births took place.
On the whole I think we may be satisfied with the working of the Act so far, and reasonably
hope for a gradually increasing percentage of notifications. It is undeniable, however, that the
Act is not popular with medical practitioners, only a tenth of whom have made application for
the Council's Cards. The figures cited would appear to indicate that of the 412 notified births in
the borough, 106 were attended by doctors and 238 by midwives; so many notifications having
been made on the Council's Cards supplied to those practitioners.]
THE KENSINGTON HEALTH SOCIETY.
Since the establishment of this Society in 1905, certain lady members of it have been good
enough to supplement the work of the Council's Health Visitor by undertaking to follow up her
primary visits to babies by re-visits. Last year a communication was received from the Society
suggesting a Conference between their representatives and representatives of the Public Health
Committee, with a view to fuller co-operation. The Committee authorised their Infectious Diseases
Sub-Committee to receive the Society's delegates, and to confer with them as to the establishment
of a scheme by means of which the visitors of the Society would be enabled to act in conjunction
with the officers of the Public Health Department. The Conference took place and the Subcommittee
in due course presented a report which, having been approved by the Committee, was
submitted to the Council and adopted : it reads as follows:—
" Adverting to the report presented by us to your Committee at the last meeting, relative to the representations
made by the KensiDgton Health Society in favour of a fuller co-operation being established between that
Society and the Sanitary Authority of the Borough, in connrction with the voluntary work undertaken by
them, we have now had the advantage of meeting in conference Alderman Percy Gates (Chairman of the
Society) and Alderman Sir Arthur Clay and Miss Eaton, the delegates appointed by the Society to interview
us in the matter.
" At this Conference the following series of suggestions which had been drawn up by the Medical Officer of
Health were discussed and approved, viz.:—
(i.) That communications from the Society be addressed to the Medical Officer of Health by the Hon.
Secretary, or her authorised representative, and that communications to the Society be addressed
by the Medical Officer of Health to the Hon. Secretary, or her authorised representative.
(ii.) That the Kensington Health Society be asked to communicate to the Medical Officer of Health
from time to time—
(a) The name and address of any lady willing to co-operate as a voluntary worker with the
Public Health Department, in measures for the prevention of Infantile Mortality, by
following up the visits of the Official Health Visitor to mothers recently confined, and to
babies during the first year of life.
(b) The number of babies she is willing to have on her visiting list at any one time, and
(c) The pari of the Borough in which she desires to work.
(iii.) That the Society be further asked—
(d) To forward to the Medical Officer of Health monthly, on an approved form, a statement
of visits paid by each voluntary health worker with any remarks she may deem necessary;
and
(e) To inform the Medical Officer when, from any cause, any such worker finds it necessary
to discontinue the work either permanently or for a stated period of time.
Note.—It will be of assistance to the Medical Officer of Health if the Society's voluntary
health workers will report direct to him any nuisance or other matter coming
under their notice which may appear to require the attention of the Public Health
Department.
" We are glad to recognise the evident disposition there is on the part of the Society to co-operate with the
Public Health Department in the voluntary efforts which the Society are putting forth to deal with the
infantile mortality which prevails in certain districts of the Borough, and we feel quite sure that there will
be the strongest desire on the part of the Council and their Public Health Committee to avail themselves
of the assistance which the Society may be able to offer in this direction,