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24
(12) Health Visiting.
The Maternity and Child Welfare work of the Borough is divided
between the M. and C.W. section of the Public Health Department and
the Royal College of St. Katharine. The latter body is responsible for
approximately one-third of the Borough, namely, the central portion
lying between Bow Road in the north and East India Dock Road in the
south. For home visiting purposes this area is divided into four districts
with two health visitors working in each district. In the northern and
southern portions of the Borough the work is undertaken by the Public
Health Department, and is divided into eight districts, having one
health visitor for each district. The Council's health visitors, in addition
to visiting in their districts, attend at various clinics.
With few exceptions, infants are visited on the nth day after birth,
or as soon as possible thereafter. An endeavour is made to pay eight
visits during the first year of life, six in the second year, four in the third
year, three in the fourth year, and one or two in the fifth year.
Owing to the increasing attendances at the various clinics the number
of sessions has been gradually increased, with the result that the time
taken up by the health visitors at these sessions has reduced considerably
the time available for visiting on the district. Up to the present, however,
it has been possible to maintain the number of routine home visits
during years when visits in connection with cases of Measles and Whooping
Cough have not been too numerous.
London County Council (General Pow.rs) Act, 1928, sec. 28. Removal of
infirm persons.
During the year it has been necessary to obtain Magistrate's Orders
for the removal of two persons.
In addition, four other infirm persons were persuaded to enter institutions
voluntarily. In one of these cases it was necessary to obtain a
warrant to enter premises in order to ascertain the condition of the patient.