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16
In order to meet the needs of the children between the ages
of 1 and 5, toddlers' clinics were opened, firstly at Southlands in 1936
and, as a result of the experience thus gained, at each of the other
Centres early in 1938. Owing to war conditions these special clinics
for toddlers were discontinued until 1947, when they were re-established
at all but one Centre during alternate weeks.
Mothercraft classes have been held at most of the Centres weekly
since 1935.
Battersea Maternity Home.
In 1920 the Council acquired two large mansions, " Elmhurst"
and " Westwood Towers," fronting on to Wandsworth Common, and
adapted them to serve as a lying-in hospital. Thirty beds were thus
made available for the reception of maternity cases and, in additionfacilities
were provided for the training of pupil midwives. The
number of cases admitted each vear was:—
1921 200 1930 516
(Opened in Feb.)
1922 371 1931 555
1923 419 1932 552
1924 400 1933 543
1925 560 1934 493
1926 625 1935 489
1927 634 1936 418
1928 653 1937 477
1929 605 1938 468
Owing to the unsound structural condition of the premises and
the extreme difficulty of securing adequate staff the Council reluctantly
decided to close the Hospital in 1938.
In conjunction with the Maternity Home, a District Midwifery
service was instituted in 1921. This service continued to function
until 1938 by which time the provision of an adequate domiciliary
service of midwives by the London County Council—the authority
for such provision under the Midwives Act—had become well
established.
Staff.
To cope with the various extensions of the service it has, of
course, been necessary to increase the staff.
In 1897 the first female Sanitary Inspector was appointed, and she
held office until 1899. The vacancy was not then filled. Her duties
do not appear to have included health visiting.
In 1902 a woman Inspector was appointed to deal with factories
and she also carried out health visiting duties. In 1904 a second
Inspector was appointed.
It was not until the passing of the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act,
1908, that power was given to appoint Health Visitors as such, whose
duties included the giving of advice as to the proper nurture, care and
management of young children, and in 1909, following the passing of
the Notification of Births Act, an, additional Visitor was appointed.
The female visiting staff remained at 3 until 1916, when an additional
Health Visitor was appointed.