London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Southwark 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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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. An English class for immigrant mothers was also started.
Clinic medical officers are primarily concerned with developmental paediatrics and
a section on the handicapped and observation register can be found elsewhere in this
report. Medical officers and health visitors are assisted in their tasks by clinic nurses and
clinic auxiliaries.
The following table indicates the volume of work carried out in health services centres during 1969:
| Number of children attending in 1969, born in | |
|---|---|
| 1969 | 3,802 |
| 1968 | 4,005 |
| 1967 | 4,905 |
| Total attendances | 65,754 |
| Total sessions held | 2,626 |
There were also 87 child health sessions held at General Practitioner surgeries at which Council staff were present
| First attendances | 102 |
| Total attendances | 363 |
| Total sessions held | 82 |
| Facilities provided for General Practitioner Obstetricians Sessions held in Council clinics | 356 |
Day care of children under five
The Council provides day nurseries and occasional creches under Section 22 of the
National Health Service Act, 1946, and has a duty under the Nurseries and Child Minders
Regulation Act, 1948 (as amended by the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968)
to register and supervise persons undertaking the daily minding of children and premises
in which children are received for day care.
Day Nurseries
There are six day nurseries in the Borough and the demand for places is such that a
system of priorities governing admission is in operation (APPENDIX A). Priority is given
to those children whose mothers have to go out to work through economic necessity or
are unable through ill-health to care adequately for their children, and to children whose
home conditions are detrimental to their health and welfare.
Charges are made according to the parents' ability to pay but only a nominal charge
for meals is made in respect of certain groups of children who are admitted on a part-time
basis. These groups include children with a hearing defect or speech retardation and
children in need of hearing environment because their parents are deaf. In addition,
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