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The shortage of qualified Health Visitors gave rise to difficulty in filling vacancies which occurred during the year,
and the resources of the Health Visiting staff were strained in coping with the additional work entailed by the increase
in the birth rate and the consequent numbers of mothers and children attending the various centres.
Home Visiting:
First visits to children under 1 year 1,909
Revisits 9,749
11,658
Visits to children ages 1-5 years 7,805
First visits to expectant mothers 1,375
Revisits 873
2,248
Other Visits:
Sickness (including Puerperal Fever, Puerperal Pyrexia, Ophthalmia Neonatorum and
Infantile Diarrhoea) 318
Miscellaneous (including ineffective calls) 9,758
10,076
The number of children on the Health Visitors' lists at the close of the year was 8,622.
consultation centres.—The continued increase in the number of attendances at the various clinics rendered
the provision of further facilities necessary, and additional maternity consultations were commenced on the 16th
January and the 5th April. These, however, failed to satisfy the growing demand and towards the end of the year it
was decided that the need existed for two maternity sessions in addition to the foregoing ; it was also considered
necessary to arrange for an additional infant session. These will commence to function early in the new year.
The Dental Clinic, which was suspended on the outbreak of War, was re-established at the Welfare Centre, 283a,
Harrow Road, on the 6th February, and the war-time arrangement by which treatment was given by a local dentist
was terminated.
In order to deal adequately with psychological problems connected with children attending the centres the
institution of a Child Guidance Clinic, under the direction of a specialist medical officer, was decided upon. The
first session was held on the 8th March.