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116
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Creches.
There are four creches in the Borough—Putney, Balham,
Tooting and Wandsworth. Children are admitted whose mothers
are obliged to go out to work, or who are ill, or who for any
other reasonable cause are unable to look after their children.
The creches are voluntary institutions subsidised by grants
from the Borough Council and the Board of Education. The
parents' payments vary from 8d. to 1s. per head, a reduction
being made when more than one child from the same family is
admitted. The Wandsworth Day Nursery is also a training
school for nurses who intend to take up creche work. They are
admitted as probationers and serve a term of six months, receiving
not only practical training but also theoretical. The matron
gives courses of lectures which the probationers are bound to
attend, and an examination is held at the end of the course. 124
inspections of the creches were made during the year by the
Health Visitors, who represent the Medical Officer of Health on
the Committees.
The attendances were: in Putney, 10,114; in Balham, 5,665;
in Tooting, 5,163; and in Wandsworth, 5,984; a total of 26,926,
an increase of 5,394 compared with 1919.
Dental Treatment.
In May, 1919, the arrangements made by the Council with
the British Dentists' Hospital, Clapham Common, came into
force. 84 cases (71 women and 13 children) availed themselves
of the opportunity to have dental tent, and 124 attendances
(107 women and 17 children) were made.
14 women had1 dentures, the charge varying from 50/- for
a few teeth up to £4 10s. for a full set; the charge is according
to the number of teeth inserted.
The medical officer at each Infant Welfare Centre examines
carefully the teeth of the mothers and children, and recommends
treatment when necessary.