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The information on which the register is based is provided by hospitals,
general practitioners, domiciliary midwives, clinical medical officers and health
visitors. The assistant senior medical officer decides if a child shall be included
in the register and is responsible for assessing the continuing reports
on a child. During 1970 visits were made to all the Infant Welfare Centres and
5,317 such reviews were made in consultation with the health visitors concerned.
In addition hospital reports were requested and received on children who were
under observation.
Since the register was greatly extended, from 1st April 1965, over 10,000
children have been followed up. They have been removed from the register when
they have been considered to be developmentally normal, retained if they needed
further observation and help or transferred to the School Health Service when
they were receiving formal education i.e. nursery classes or specialised schools.
At 31 December, 1970 there were 3,615 children on the register, an average
of 82 being added each month. The number of babies notified during the year as
congenitally malformed was 86.
Close liaison with the Newcomen Centre at Guy's Hospital has been
maintained. Southwark bears 50% of the cost of a specialists service and provides
a health visitor for the necessary follow-up for children and families in
the Borough.
The Deputy Medical Officer of Health conducts an assessment session
at the Newcomen Centre and holds special assessment clinics at the child
welfare clinics in the Borough. During the year 197 appointments were made.
Reports from the Newcomen Clinic were received on all Southwark children
who attended the clinic and the appropriate recommendations were carried out.
(It was noted during the year that a much closer liaison was developing with the
Hospitals in the area).
Impaired Hearing in Young Children
Standard screening tests for the hearing of babies and young children
were carried out by medical staff with special training in this work. Any child
thought to have impaired hearing was referred, with the consent of the general
practitioner, to the Council's otologist for further examination. The names of
such children were added to the handicapped register.
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