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possible means of developing and extending health education activities
in schools. It was generally agreed that health visitors should take a
more active part in school life and should assist, with other officers
of the department, in promoting a comprehensive health education
programme to help children to start life better equipped to face both
social and health problems of adolescence. The programme should be as
broadly-based as possible and the health visitor's part in it integrated
with the school curriculum. This would do much to ensure a responsible
attitude towards day care as well as dealing with many other problems.
Experienced schools would pool their knowledge with other schools
in gauging their needs and head teachers would, in c-operation with the
Principal Nursing Officer, arrange preliminary talks with a view to
inaugurating health education lectures in their schools by professional
staff of my department. Every effort is being made to expand the
departmental activities in this field but frequent changes of health
visiting staff make a marked increase difficult at the present time.
Talks for Expectant and Nursing Mothers.
In August, 1966, I wrote to all the maternity hospitals with
catchment areas in the borough reminding them of the programme of talks
given at welfare centres for expectant and nursing mothers. Particular
attention was drawn to the facilities provided at these centres for
relaxation and mothercraft classes, ante-natal clinics, creches,
facilities for expectant and nursing mothers to receive dental treatment,
and to the availability of welfare foods and nutrients at cost plus
prices. Mention was also made of the opportunity to meet the health
visitor who will be in close contact with the mother after the birth of
her child. Expressions of appreciation for this reminder, coupled with
undertakings to make the services more widely known to patients, were
received from several consultant obstetricians.
Home Accidents.
Figures supplied by the Greater London Council show that,during
the year, 720 persons were admitted to hospital by the London Ambulance
Service following accidents in the home. This suggests an increase
over the 1965 figure of 443 quoted in my annual report last year,
which, however, represented removals only for the nine months 1st April
to 31st December, 1965. Rather surprisingly, the increase appears to
have taken place in the months April to July rather than in the winter.
Again, there was an excess of females over males. The proportion
of accidents in children (0 - 14 years) decreased and that among
elderly persons (65 years and over) increased more than forty per cent
of the total. It is not possible to classify these accidents
according to cause but experience indicates that the numbers removed
to hospital by ambulance fall far short of the total admissions, even
of those who have suffered serious accidents. It is, therefore,
apparent that much more teaching and advice are necessary to prevent
these often tragic accidents. The most practical course is the
inculcation by parents of sound principles of home safety in their
children at an early age.
Inner London Education Authority - Standing Advisory Committee on
Health Education.
Dr. W.T. Densham Ray, the principal medical officer with
responsibility for the school health service, continued to be a member
of the above Advisory Committee. At its meeting held in September,