London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hampstead 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hampstead Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
45
The record cards relating to young children in the family are sent
with this communication. By this means information regarding 293
children under 5 years of age was sent to other Medical Officers of
Health during the past year. Notification was received from 30 other
Local Authorities from various parts of the country (including 7
Metropolitan Boroughs) regarding 92 children who had removed into
Hampstead.
Health Visiting staff.
In connection with maternity and child welfare work, the Council
employs four Health Visitors; while 40 per cent. of the time of the
Woman Sanitarv Inspector is also devoted to this work.
The minimum number of visits which the Health Visitors are now expected to pay to each child is as follows:—
| Age of child. | Visits paid. | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | At 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10 and 12 months | 7 |
| 1—2 years | Once every 3 months | 4 |
| 2—3 years | „ 4 „ | 3 |
| 3—4 years | „ 6 „ | 2 |
| 4—5 years | „ 6 „ | 2 |
At the close of the year the Health Visitors had under their
supervision for systematic visiting 997 infants under one year of age
and 1,742 children aged between one and five years.
The following table gives a record of the work of the Health
Visitors in 1938:—
†First visits to expectant mothers 525
Re-visits to expectant mothers 751
†First visits to infants under one year 924
Re-visits to infants under one year 4090
Visits to children from 1 to 2 years 2868
Visits to children from 2 to 5 years 4524
Visits to foster-mothers and foster-children 772
Visits re infectious diseases 1678
*Attendances at Borough Council's Ante-natal Clinics 161
‡Attendances at Borough Council's Post-natal Clinics 5
†Including visits to mothers and babies moving into the Borough and
previously visited.
*A temporary paid helper was also present at these Clinics in 146 instances.
‡A temporary paid helper was also present at the Post-natal Clinic in 91 instances.