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
Kensington 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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33
No. 466, Oxbridge Road is in the Borough of Hammersmith, but the Home is in every other
sense a Kensington Institution. It is controlled by a Voluntary Committee of Kensington ladies
and gives preference to Kensington girls.
MOTHERCRAFT TRAINING SOCIETY (29-31, Trebovir Road).
This institution receives paiients from all parts of the country and does not provide for
Kensington cases any more than for those from other districts; therefore, although situated in the
Royal Borough, it cannot be regarded as a Kensington institution in the same sense as the other
units dealt with in this report.
Besides giving treatment to children and advice to mothers, particularly in regard to dietetic
errors, the institution is a teaching centre for practical training in Child Welfare. The courses of
instruction are intended for general hospital nurses, maternity nurses and welfare workers.
STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER. 1923.
| No. of Infants in the Institution at the beginning of year | 20 |
| No. admitted during the year | 99 |
| No. discharged during the year | 98 |
| No. in residence at the end of the year | 21 |
| Average duration of stay of Infants in the Institution— | |
| Malnutrition Cases | 66 days |
| Breast Feeding Cases (Infants and Mothers) | 21 days |
| No. of Infants receiving out-patient treatment— | |
| New Cases | 791 |
| Attendances | 4,536 |
| No. of Mothers in the Institution at the beginning of the year | 9 |
| No. admitted during the year | 50 |
| No. discharged during the year | 49 |
| No. in at the end of the year | 10 |
| Average duration of stay of each mother in the Institution | 21 days |
| No. of Mothers receiving out-patient treatment in connection with the re-establishment of breast-milk | 345 |
Owing to the lease of the premises in Trebovir Road expiring, this institution is about to
remove to new buildings in the Borough of Hornsey. Excellent pioneer work has been carried
out by the Mothercaft Training Society but the number of Kensington patients treated each year
has been very small indeed, and the removal will not reduce to any appreciable extent the adequacy
of the Child Welfare services available to Kensington mothers.
Those children in need of the specialised form of treatment given will still be able to attend
the institution after removal to Highgate Hill.
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ADOPTION ASSOCIATION HOSTEL
(Tower Cressy, Campden Hill).
This institution is situated in the Borough, but the work is national rather than localUnwanted
infants are received from various parts of the country and are cared for until adopted by
some reputable person.
RECORD OF WORK DONE IN 1923.
| Number of children in the institution at the commencement of the year | 18 |
| Number admitted during the year | 107 |
| Number discharged during the year | 106 |
| Number in residence at the end of the year | 19 |
| Average duration of stay of each child in the institution | 44 days |
THE CREAGH NURSERY TRAINING SCHOOL
(No. 38, Holland Villas Road).
This institution was opened in March, 1923, and has accommodation for 28 infants. As in
the case of the National Children's Adoption Association Hostel at Tower Cressy, unwanted
infants are received from various parts of the country, and cared for until adopted by some
reputable person ; in addition, young ladies are trained in mothercraft.
RECORD OF WORK DONE IN 1923.
| Number of children in the institution at the commencement of the year | Nil |
| Number admitted during the year | 44 |
| Number discharged during the year | 18 |
| Number in residence at the end of the year | 26 |
| Duration of stay of each child in the institution | 6.9 months |