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116
Sessions held by:—
Medical Officers 285
Health Visitors 239
G.P.s on Sessional basis 1,807
Hospital Medical Staff
2,331
No. of Children referred elsewhere 349
No. of Children on "At Risk" Register 31.12.69 2,271
In addition to advice given to their mothers by health visitors,
all children attending the clinics undergo a regular comprehensive
medical examination aimed at the early detection of mental,
physical and emotional handicaps. Close liaison with paediatricians
and general practitioners enables such children to receive
prompt treatment and, when necessary, special arrangements for
their future education.
During the year, the Department of Health and Social Security
issued a circular to Local Health Authorities concerning immunisation
programmes. Research has indicated that if immunisation
is delayed for a month or two immunological response is improved
and severe reactions to pertussis immunisation lessened.
However, like most boroughs it was considered necessary to
modify the scheme to meet local conditions and the amended
programme was brought into operation for all new babies from
August 1969. The timing of some injections can now be more
widely spaced and fewer visits to the clinic or family doctor are
necessary to complete a child's protection.
Day Nurseries
At present there is only one Borough child in the Lewisham
Day Nursery which has been used since the allocation of ten
places to Greenwich in 1965. Other arrangements are in operation
for children who urgently need this type of care.
St. Thomas's Private Day Nursery in Woolwich continues to
offer places to children sponsored by the Borough as being in
need of this service for medical or social reasons. During 1969,
four children attended the nursery for social reasons but there
was none attending at the end of the year.
It is hoped to arrange a second similar scheme with a Nursery
in Greenwich during 1970 and a further extension of such arrangements
will do much to help certain necessitous children who are
less suitable for management by one of the many excellent
registered child minders who are known to the Department.
Mentally handicapped children under 5 years of age also receive
valuable pre-school training at Eltham Creche organised to a large