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1928]
18
REPORT OF WORK OF VOLUNTARY CENTRES.
A Table, summarising this work for the year ending 31st March, 1929,
follows. The Centre year ends on this particular date, while the other matter in
this Annual Report is up to the year ending 31st December, 1928.
The Conjoint Committee of the Centres has continued their Quarterly meetings
during the year under the Chairmanship of Alderman H. B. Vorley, J.P. I his
Conjoint Committee forms a valuable link in co-ordinating the work of the four
Centres and their Branches and enables matters to be brought up for discussion
about which the Centres may desire a general expression of opinion. The Medical
Officer of Health is a member of this Committee.
The Centres during the year had seriously under consideration the milk scale
in force in the Borough re- the provision of milk by the Local Authority, under
the Maternity and Child Welfare scheme, to necessitous mothers and infants.
This revised scale, which came into force in July, 1928, was stated by this Committee
to have had the result that many mothers did not consider it worth while
to make application. The matter continued under the consideration of the Committee
with a view to representations being made to the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee of the Borough Council.
North Centre.—During the year the Borough Council approved the extension
of the ante-natal work at this Centre. The premises, already described in last
year's Report, have been supplemented by the gift of a new surgery, fully
equipped, in memory of the late Dr. Nancy Hield.
The activities of this Centre, coming within the Maternity and Child Welfare
scheme, apart from the work as a training centre and special dental work for
school children, were reviewed (p. 17) of last report. A note on the ante-natal
work is of interest :—At the clinics the mothers are given advice by a Lady Doctor
before the baby is born and, if it is considered necessary, the case is referred to a
consultative Ante-natal Clinic at a Hospital. Nurses from the Welfare Clinic
visit these mothers to help them to carry out the medical advice given. When the
confinement is over and the medical attendance is ended, or attendance of the
midwife has ceased, a visit is paid with a view to any necessary after care.
The after care is so arranged that each mother can be seen by the doctor at
the Welfare Clinic six weeks after her confinement, unless she is attending a
hospital or her private doctor. To the Post-natal Clinics the mothers bring their
children for medical advice in regard to healthy upbringing.
It will be seen in the Summary of the Municipal Health Visitors' work,
Borough Council Health Visitors attend some of the clinics at the Centre to keep
the necessary co-ordination between the Centre work in the district and that of the
Maternity and Child Welfare Sections of the Public Health Department.
Five Home-Helps are employed by this Centre to go into the homes and do
the work of the mothers during their confinements, etc. The mothers pay weekly
sums into a " Home-Help Club " for use of a Home-Help when needed.
The " Light " Clinic of this Centre had, for children, 259 clinic days, and for
mothers 143 days; the attendances were, " For consultations without treatment,"
21 children, 8 mothers; " For treatment," children 5,724, mothers 1,711; a total
of 7,464. The average numbers treated daily were children 22.1, mothers 11.9;
the average number of treatments given, children 14.3, mothers 11.8. In regard
to the number of cases treated and the reasons for treatment, the particulars are :
Children—malnutrition 221, catarrhal conditions 96, rickets 72, restlessness and