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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Child Welfare Centres
During the year a report on the medical functions and medical staffing of child
welfare centres was issued by a Sub-Committee (the Sheldon Committee) set up by
the Standing Medical Advisory Committee to the Minister of Health. The report
emphasised the continuing need for a preventive service to safeguard the health of
children. Its main recommendations were the formation of groups of general practitioners,
building of health centres with attachment of health visitors, post-graduate
training of general practitioners and local authority medical staff, greater employment
of part-time medical officers, especially women, and co-operation with other voluntary
and statutory services. The report also recommended that the organisation of the
service should remain as at present with the Medical Officer of Health.
Many of the recommendations made by the Sub-Committee were already in
operation in Southwark.
In common with many other large urban authorities with a high proportion of
decaying housing accommodation, Southwark has many preventive health problems
and these are exacerbated by the presence of five buildings containing over 260 homeless
families from other London Boroughs. One such building, housing 79 families
including 92 children under 5 years of age, was served by infant welfare and prophylaxis
sessions held at a nearby clinic which had to close owing to expiry of the
lease. The large numbers of young children and the rapid turnover in families using
the accommodation made it imperative to provide child welfare services to ensure
that the children received adequate medical care and to reduce the risk of infectious
disease occurring in the Borough. Consequently, a vaccination and immunisation
session commenced in the building and was later combined with infant welfare work.
The clinic is held in the social workers' office and a medical officer and a health
visitor attend the session.
At another welfare centre it was observed that there were many non-attendances
especially of children on the handicapped and observation register called up for
review. This was considered to be mainly due to the fact that working mothers
are unable to attend the centre at the times of the existing sessions. Arrangements
were therefore made to hold an evening welfare session which is run entirely by
Council staff.
Some or all of the following services were available at the 19 Council welfare
centres: ante-natal, post-natal, infant welfare, toddlers, prophylaxis, creche, health
education, dental care of expectant and nursing mothers and children under 5 years
of age. Similar facilities were provided at two centres run by voluntary committees
with grant aid from the Council. In addition, mothercraft classes were conducted by
health visitors in some centres in which instruction was provided in home-making,
budgeting, simple cookery and so on. Health visitors also provided health education
talks and gave advice on feeding difficulties and the general management of children.
Clinic medical officers are primarily concerned with developmental paediatrics
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