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Council's Maternity Home at 78 Shooter's Hill Road, a project
which had first received formal approval in June, 1919, and,
in this respect, the Council must be commended on being
pioneers in the establishment of a Municipal Maternity Home.
Accommodation at that time consisted of 12 beds and during
the first year of its existence the Home dealt with 121 confine
ments.
On 21st November, 1923, the Council, with Ministry
approval, decided to form a permanent Tuberculosis Care
Committee to consist of annually elected members from various
interested organisations, voluntary and statutory.
In 1924 the Cleansing Station was opened and an Artificial
Sunlight Centre was suggested. This latter proposal led
eventually to the establishment in the following year of the
Council's first Sunlight Centre at Conduit House. Facts about
cancer and the need for early diagnosis and treatment were
contained in a pamphlet generally circulated throughout the
Borough during 1924. In the same year a new Refuse Disposal
plant was brought into operation which was disposing of 30
tons per diem, such treatment involving sorting and disposal
of saleable materials. Such plant was expected to reduce the
nuisance arising from the dumping of refuse on the low-lying
marsh areas of the Borough.
Purchase of Charlton House and its estates during 1925
enabled the Council to contemplate considerable expansion of
its housing scheme.
During 1926 the accommodation at the Maternity Home
was increased to 20 beds, distributed in two general, one private,
one isolation and two labour wards. There was an ingenious
suggestion from the M.o.H. during this year that, to encourage
the medical profession to greater efforts a capitation fee be
introduced, based upon a standard death rate, which would rise
as the rate fell and, conversely, fall should the rate rise.
In an effort to combat the rising cancer deaths, the Council,
with the Ministry's consent, opened a Tumour Diagnostic Clinic
towards the end of the year 1927. Provision for a further
Health Service was contained in a suggestion by the Medical
Officer that a plan for "Schick" testing and Diphtheria immunisation
should be introduced, but the scheme was not taken
up. This year also saw the compulsory registration and licensing
of street traders under the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1927.