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individual. This has been done primarily by regarding health
education as an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Health
Department because the services provided by the Health and allied
departments such as Education are in themselves influential means
of health education. Not only can these services help parents to
understand how they can bring up healthy children but they also
offer many opportunities to the staff of the departments to give
assistance and advice on the general rules of hygiene and personal
health. If it is true that the key to effective health education lies in
securing the intelligent co-operation of the individual without causing
anxiety about health problems, it is also true that this purpose
can best be achieved through the existing services and, except on
special occasions, not allowing health education to impinge too
drastically on patients or those who attend clinics. In other words,
health education should be practised without its being too obvious,
except where it is necessary to press home a particular lesson to
achieve a particular object.
Maternity and Child Welfare Services—At the maternity and
child welfare clinics where mothers and their babies attend, there
are many opportunities for helping the mothers by means of
intelligent education on health matters. Advice on the personal
problems of individual mothers can be reinforced by general talks
in which groups of mothers are encouraged to take part; subjects
are chosen which are of topical interest and are illustrated by
demonstrations and by visual aids, e.g. film strips. These are
planned to meet local needs and are arranged by the staff of the
centres. Mothercraft classes are held each week and several of
these take the form of mothers' clubs. Here, the mothers undertake
most of the organizing and this method has been found very
acceptable in many districts. These clubs and classes are one of
the most fruitful means of bringing to light problems which are
worrying mothers. From time to time, outside organizations send
speakers to these clubs. For expectant mothers, classes are
arranged which cover ante-natal care, preparation for labour and the
care of the young baby, and relaxation classes are held in conjunction
with these courses. At some of the welfare centres, one or
two evening sessions are also included to which fathers are invited.
School Health Service—The School Health Service also provides
scope for giving help about healthy living and this need not
necessarily be limited to advice about the particular defect for
which the child has attended. At regular medical inspections, the
medical officer is able to discuss problems of personal hygiene with
parents and to encourage a sense of responsibility in the children.
School nurses undertake regular mothercraft teaching in some of the
larger schools and the questions and discussions which follow are
often the most valuable part of the session.
The Inner London Education Authority has made available a
Health Education Officer with a mobile unit which has