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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
MATERNITY AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES
There are thirteen Maternity and Child Health Centres in the Borough,
some in purpose-built or adapted accommodation and others in rented premises.
The new Belthorn Maternity, Child Health and School Treatment Centre at
1 Belthorn Crescent, SW12 (adjacent to the Weir Maternity Hospital) opened for
clinic sessions in August 1972. It is the second purpose built centre to be opened
by the London Borough of Lambeth since April 1965, and it replaced Poynders
Gardens Child Health Sub-centre and Clapham Park School Treatment Centre,
which provided insufficient accommodation for satisfactory provision and development
of services in the area. The Centre serves the western part of the Streatham
Hill area and provides a full range of maternity and child health services, a foot
clinic, two dental surgeries, office accommodation for health visitors, district
nurses and other field staff.
Mothers attend at child health centres with infants from the age of two
weeks for the purpose of being advised by health visitors and clinic doctors
about mothercraft and care of their children and for routine developmental
examinations by clinic medical officers. Mothers may attend as often as they
wish but are invited to attend at three monthly intervals for the first year.
Thereafter, they should attend at six monthly intervals until the child's second
birthday, after which they should attend at least once yearly for medical
examinations. As required, children are referred for further examinations to the
Borough's Developmental Clinics held at selected child health centres where
they are seen by specialist in developmental peadiatrics, who refer them to
assessment centres, if necessary, or will continue to keep them under supervision.
Other services available for children at the centres include routine prophylaxis
against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis and measles, as well as
creche facilities.
For women, ante-natal and post-natal, cervical cytology, family planning
clinics and health education are provided. At four centres evening child health clinics
are provided for working mothers. Health Visitors working from the centres visit
mothers with children under five in their homes, as well as other members of the
family, and old people whether a part of a family unit or living alone.
Mothers and families know the health centres as a focal point where they can
contact the health visitor and consult with the clinic medical officers.