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Occasional creches
These creches are provided for the children of mothers who are
attending a clinic or class on the premises and they also give
occasional relief to mothers who for various reasons, such as visits
to hospitals, shopping, laundering and other domestic duties, wish
to be relieved of their young children for two or three hours during
the day. In addition, they provide an opportunity for an only
child to mix with children of similar age. The three-hour sessions
are extremely popular, but the recruitment of staff continues to be
a problem.
Developmental assessment and assessment clinics
The concept of early identification of handicap by periodic
developmental screening of all young children has its logical
counterpart in the provision of special clinics where further investigation,
treatment and comprehensive care can be initiated. The
exact localisation of assessment clinics, that is whether they should
be attached to a hospital, a special school, or run by the local
authority is immaterial—such divisions are artificial. What is
essential is that hospital specialists, family doctors and those working
in community paediatrics, teachers working in special schools
or therapists in specialised departments should combine in their
efforts to see the child as a whole, for only then is it possible to
offer constructive advice to the parents and plan realistically for
the child's future.
With this in mind during 1971, closer links have been established
with the Paediatric Departments of the hospitals associated
with the Wandsworth area. Senior doctors from the hospitals are
now undertaking clinical sessions at the child health centres whilst
local authority doctors experienced in developmental paediatrics
have become part of the team helping to assess handicapped children
either in hospital or in special sessions held in local authority
clinics.
At present the following arrangements are in existence:—
St. James' Hospital, Balham
Weekly attendance by a local authority doctor for the purpose
of helping to assess handicapped children.
St. George's Hospital, Tooting
Weekly attachment of a Principal Medical Officer to the
assessment clinic. This clinic is held twice a month at
St. George's Hospital, and once a month at Tooting Child
Health Centre and Braidwood Audiology Unit respectively.
A Paediatric Registrar undertakes a weekly clinical session in
the Tooting Child Health Centre.