View report page

99
The Divisional Medical Officer, and the Administrative and Nursing Officers for
Division 3 are members of the Home Nursing Voluntary Committee.
Training of Nursery Students.—Ten of the 12 Day Nurseries in the Division are
approved as training nurseries for the Nursery Nurses Diploma and during the 6
months July to December, 1948, 24 students were in training. Three students sat for
the examination in November, 1948, and all were successful.
Foot Clinic.—A Foot Clinic is established at the Finsbury Health Centre, employing
4 full-time and 2 part-time chiropodists ; 13 sessions are held weekly and all
needing treatment are permitted to attend. The charge is 1s. 6d. per treatment
(reducable on economic grounds under the Council's Assessment Scheme) and there
are approximately 280 attendances weekly.
Home Helps.—The home help scheme showed a steady expansion from the
5th July, 1948, on which date 217 households were being attended, whereas on the
31st December, 1948, 297 cases, of which 25 were home confinements, were being
assisted. 127 home helps were employed at the end of the year, of whom 33 were
whole-time and the rest part-time or casual workers. The care of aged and infirm
persons constituted a special problem and it is estimated that approximately 30 per
cent. of our resources were devoted to the care of this group, many of whom required
assistance for prolonged periods.
Vaccination.—Successful vaccinations amongst babies under 12 months from
5th July, 1948, to the end of the year numbered 776, representing approximately 30
per cent. of the births occurring during that period. Seven vaccination sessions are
held each week at infant welfare centres and 1,502 attendances were recorded.
Diphtheria Immunisation.—Six sessions per week were held for diphtheria immunisation
and 2,381 completed immunisations were effected from 5th July, 1948 to
31st December, 1948. 10,416 attendances were recorded. A mobile clinic was
successfully used during the month of July, 1948 (aided by a loud speaker unit) and
337 injections were given by this method. Local propaganda was carried out by the
showing of films and slides in the local cinemas and, as a routine, special letters with
pre-paid consent cards were sent out to all parents whose children, having reached
the age of 12 months, had not been immunised. Of 29 notified cases of diphtheria in
the division 5 only were confirmed during the period under review ; of these, only
two had ever been given a dose of prophylactic and there was no death.
Assessments.—1,121 cases were assessed in connection with the recovery of
charges for various articles and services provided.
Tuberculosis After Care Arrangements.—There are 4 Chest Clinics in the division
at which patients are seen and any necessary after-care arrangement made. Three
Tuberculosis Voluntary Care Committees (one in each of the 3 boroughs) meet at
regular intervals to deal with various aspects of after-care work. The Council has
granted extra nourishment to 76 cases and 7 beds and bedding have been loaned to
patients during the period under review.
Publicity.—By the co-operation of the local newspaper editors, items of general
interest relating to public health matters have been published from time to time in the
newspapers circulating in the area. In addition, articles on the health services are
prepared by the Divisional Officers and are published periodically in bulletins issued
by the libraries departments of two of the borough councils in the Division. Special
publicity by means of leaflets, booklets and posters has been carried out uninterruptedly.
School Health Service.—The School Health Service was administered from the
Divisional Office as from the 25th October, 1948. There are approximately 35,300
children attending 86 schools and institutes in the Division. 40 school nursing