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61
Although in this area a limited service had been available for some
time, during 1965 this was put on a firmer basis and application
made to the Minister of Health for formal approval of our scheme.
Considerable consultations took place with the Regional Hospital
Board but the limiting factor in any large-scale expansion of the
existing service is the shortage of pathologists and trained technicians
experienced in the screening methods.
Patients are referred by their own doctors, who receive reports
on the findings of the hospital pathologists.
At the end of 1965 four weekly sessions were being held and it
is hoped that the service can soon be further expanded.
Day Nurseries
There are seven Council day nurseries with a total number of
288 places for normal children and six places in a special unit
for mentally handicapped children. Admission is restricted to the
children of mothers who are without the support of a husband,
parents where the mother is unable to care for the child, parents
whose living conditions are likely to affect the health of the child
unfavourably, and widowers or deserted fathers. It is sometimes
possible to offer a few places to the children of parents where
the mother has to work owing to the father's unemployment or
low earnings. Children in the Council's nurseries are medically
examined at regular intervals.
There is one day nursery run by a grant-aided voluntary body,
the Battersea Central Mission. This nursery, which is run on
lines similar to those of the Council's nurseries, provides places
for 49 children.
Throughout the year there has been a great demand for places
in all the day nurseries in the Borough. From time to time all
nurseries have experienced severe staff shortages, sometimes
necessitating the temporary limitation of new admissions. Towards
the end of the year the position had slightly improved but there
is still a very rapid turnover in staff. The matrons, their deputies
and other senior staff have all worked extremely hard and it is
their devoted service which keeps the nurseries going in spite of
staffing difficulties.
We have continued to admit a number of children for short
periods to tide over a family emergency, such as the admission
of the mother to hospital. All cases are sympathetically and carefully
considered but it has been possible to admit only cases of
urgent need.
There have been the usual cases of infectious disease during the
year but on the whole the children's health has been good. A
number of applications are made by hospitals for the admission
of children on medical grounds and when it is possible to admit
these children they make excellent progress.