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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
Urban Programme
In February the Joint Circular from the Home Office, Department of Education
and Science and Department of Health and Social Security introduced the second phase
of the Government's Urban Programme making available a further £2 million for
expenditure on education, housing, health and welfare, in areas of special social need.
Under the Programme grant is payable through the Local Government Grants (Social
Needs) Act, 1969, towards approved projects at the rate of 75%.
Of the projects submitted by this Borough, the Government gave its approval to
(1) the provision of infant welfare clinic facilities in the Dog Kennel Hill area
(2) financial assistance, up to a total of £30,000 to aid the formation of twenty
new non profit making play groups and
(3) the appointment of a Playgroup Organiser whose task was to stimulate public
interest in playgroups, to encourage their formation, and to maintain
standards by inspection and advice.
It was later ascertained that the funds allocated to the formation of new groups
might also be used to assist existing ones to expand and in extreme cases to assist groups
who might otherwise close because of financial difficulties. Arrangements were then made
for financial help to be given under Section 65 of the Health Services and Public Health
Act, 1968, and applications were encouraged from both existing and future playgroups.
Surveys
During the year an estimate of the day care needs of pre-school children was
prepared in response to an enquiry by the Department of Health and Social Security. The
existing arrangements, including day nurseries, creches, playgroups, nursery schools and
classes and child-minders provide places for approximately 3,450 children. However, the
unmet need, based on a 10% sample of five areas of the Borough, appeared to affect
6,000 children. Proposals for satisfying this demand by expanding the existing services
over the next ten years were put forward. The special problems of increasing numbers of
children living in tall blocks of fiats, of those living in overcrowded and unsatisfactory
housing and of the growing immigrants child population was noted.
The Department also participated in a survey of the use made of the Health Service
by Commonwealth immigrants and co-operated in initial arrangements for the Southwark
Community Project and the Social Action and Community Development Project.
Maternity and Child Health
Each of the Council's 17 health services centres provided some or all of the
following services throughout the year: ante-natal, post-natal, child health, 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
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