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The provision by the Borough Council of Consultants' services, bacteriologicul
investigation and skilled nursing in connection with cases developing
Puerperal Fever or Puerperal Pyrexia. Hospital accommodation is also
available for these cases.
A subsidy is paid by the Borough Council to a Voluntary Committee for the
provision of Home Helps.
3. Infants and Young Children.
The dispatch by post of cards of advice to the individual mothers immediately
after the receipt of the notification of birth required by law.
The visiting of infants and young children by the Council's staff of health
visitors.
The provision and maintenance of Child Welfare Centres. These Centres are
partly maintained on a voluntary basis; but the whole of the professional
staff (medical officers and health visitors) are paid and controlled by the
Council, who also pay the rent, rates and taxes of the Centre premises.
The provision of a clinic for (ailing mothers and) young children, the expenses
being borne partly by municipal and partly by voluntary funds.
The provision of a municipal dental clinic.
The subsidisation of a Home for ailing young children.
The supply of milk, free or at reduced price.
The subsidisation of the three voluntary Day Nurseries in the Borough.
The payment for the home nursing of sick infants in certain cases.
A Centre for Artificial Light treatment.
A sun bathing play centre was also instituted during the year in conjunction
with H.M. Office of Works and the Sunlight League (see page 38).
The visiting and supervision of necessitous children under 5 years of age
upon discharge from the St. Pancras and Ilighgate Hospitals.
The provision of convalescent home treatment by means of subsidy to voluntary
agencies.
The above-mentioned activities are dealt with in detail in the following pages.
Advice Cards.—Besides the posting of cards of advice to the mothers of all infants
whose births have been notified, cards of advice to expectant mothers have been distributed
through University College Hospital, Middlesex Hospital, the Maternity Nursing Association,
and other agencies.
Home Visiting.—The Council's Health Visitors at the Welfare Centres are full-time
workers (20 in number), who divide their time between the necessary work at the Centres
and visiting the homes of the mothers and children. In addition there was one full-time
and one part-time trained worker, not paid by the Council, at the Caversham Road Centre,
one part-time trained voluntary (unpaid) worker at the Somers Town Centre, and one parttime
(untrained) voluntary worker at the Camden Road Centre. There were also two
trained visitors at the University College Hospital Centre, who worked in neighbouring
boroughs as well as in St. Pancras, and whose salaries were paid by the hospital authorities,
and not by the Council, and two trained visitors at the Royal Free Hospital,