London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Kensington 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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26
Home Helps.
One hundred and seventy-two applications were received for the provision of home helps under
the council's scheme. The assistance was granted in 133 cases for a period of 14 days each, in four
cases for a month, in three cases for three weeks, in one case for 16 days, in one case for 13 days,
and in two cases for one week ; six applicants cancelled their requests and 22 applications were not
granted. The gross cost of the scheme to the council was £213 19s. 4d.
Boarding-out of Children.
The council have a scheme under which the children of women staying at home or going to
institutions for their confinements can be boarded-out with foster-mothers for a period of usually
fourteen days. The council are the authority carrying out the work of child life protection, and the
child life protection visitor is a member of the staff of the public health department. This officer
visits the homes of all foster-mothers in the borough to see that the conditions, etc., are satisfactory,
and it is thus possible for the council to learn of good homes for children required to be boarded-out.
During the year, 23 children were boarded-out at a cost of £27 13s. 2d.
Travelling Expenses of Women Breast-feeding Infants Admitted to Hospitals.
Nine applications were received for payment by the borough council of travelling expenses to
and from hospital of women who were breast-feeding infants admitted as in-patients to hospitals
for treatment. These were granted, and the total payments amounted to £4 1s. 0d.

Health Lecturer.

Lectures given.Individual mothers attending.Attendances.Average attendance at lecture.
Bramley Road I. W. C.129817814.83
Campden Hill ,, „119926023.54
Dalgarno ,, „126114512.08
Golborne „ „1150958.63
Kenley Street „ „114311310.18
Lancaster Road „ „116712311.18
Raymede ,, ,,1210421718.08
South Kensington ,,116112111.0
Baby Clinic1141414.0
Other institutions39030.0
Totals955971,35614.27

Birth Control and Gynaecological Clinics.
The council have an agreement with the North Kensington women's welfare centre at No. 12,
felford Road, whereby women attending the infant welfare centres in the borough can, in appropriate
cases, receive birth control advice and gynaecological treatment.
During 1938, the attendances of Kensington women at the Telford Road clinic totalled 1,344.
The council recognise the good work carried out by the North Kensington women's welfare
centre in respect of both birth control advice and gynaecological treatment by making an annual
grant of £100.
Child Life Protection.
At the end of the year there were in the borough 106 foster-mothers, and they had the care of
109 children under the age of nine years who had been taken for reward. One of the council's health
officers holds the appointment of child life protection visitor, and pays frequent visits to every
home where a foster-child is kept. Seventy-six of the foster-children are under the age of five
years, and all but twelve, who are seen regularly by private doctors, are in regular attendance at
infant welfare centres.