London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1943

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]

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HOME HELPS:
In June 1943, the Council in order to make the Home Help Service mora easily
available to mothers, some of whom were unable to afford payments on the existing
scale, adopted a revised scale or assessments which approximately halved the
contributions to be paid by mothers over the scale as a whole.
It became increasingly difficult to obtain women prepared to undertake
intermittent employment, as Homs., Helps as was evident from the fact that before the
War there were 39 names on the one Home Panel, whereas by the middle of 1943 there
wore only 12 such names a on the Pencl. In addition, the Ministry of Labour & National
Service was taking all possible ataps to diminish stand-by employment such as is
necessitated in connection with a Home Help Panel with periods of unemployment in
between cases. The Council therefore adopted a scheme for the employment of three
whole-time Home Helps whose services in between Home Help cases would bo utilised in
domestic work in the Borough Council's War-time Day Nursaries. Although every effort
was made to obtain three such whole-time Home Helps, it was only possible to make
effective one such appointment during 1943.
Although many difficulties were encountered in working; the Horn Help Scheme,
175 cases were attended during the year, the cost to the Council being £742. 3s. 7d.
SUPPLY OF SUPPLEMENTARY QUANTITY AND TO YOUNG CHILDREN:
Under the national Milk Scheme certain quantities of liquid or Dried Milk are
supplied to all expectant mothers and children under 5, either at 2d pint for wet
milk, or ½d a packs for Dried Milk, or free, according to the Ministry of Food
Assessment Scale. Children up to the age of 12 months are also eligible for a
supplementary quantity of wet or Dried Milk, and in respect of those cases where the
first pint or packet is. assessed as free the Council havea reed to pay the coat of
the supplementary quantity. During 1943, the total quantity of milk supplied in this
was and paid for by the Council was:-
No. of Recipients - 352 Pints of Milk 7,019 £125. 7s. 3d.
do. do. Lbs. of Dried Milk 5,181¾ £241. 7s. 4d.
SUPPLY OF VITAMIN PREPARATION FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE:
The Voluntary Welfare Centres continued to act as Distributing Centres on
behalf of the Minitary of Food in connection with Vitamin products in the form of
Cod Liver Oil Compound and Orange Juice for Expectant Mothers and Children under Five.
SUPPLEMENTARY COUPONS FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS:
Arrangements were made by the Board of Trade for the issue of Supplementary
Coupons to Expectant Mothers, which had hitherto been undertaken by the Maternity &
Child welfare authority, to be undertaken by the Ministry of Food after the 24th of
July 1943, in order to enable mothers to obtain their extras ration bocks for food and
clothing from the same office and at the same time of application, on the presentation
of a single Medical Certificate. During the period January to 24th July 1943, 2,220
Expectant Mothers resident in the Borough of Islington ware issued with these
supplementary coupons at the Maternity & Child Welfare Office.
A letter was received from the Board of Trade conveying their thanks for the
help and co-operation afforded by local Health Authorities and Welfare Centres in
the difficult early stages of clothes rationing.
MATERNITY HOSPITAL GRANTS:
Contributions for Maternity cases admitted to beds at Maternity Hospitals at
the rate of 10/- per case for a percentage of notified births were made as follows:-
University College Hospital 156 Cases
Royal Free Hospital 119 "
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