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sisters carry out routine examinations for personal hygiene at the schools and 8
treatment centres are established in the area. Routine age group medical inspections,
special inspections and reinspections amount to approximately 33,000 annually.
Division 4, comprising the boroughs of Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington.
Dr. S. King reports :
Domestic Help Service.—In each of the 3 boroughs in the Division there was a
well-developed domestic help service already in operation before 5th July, 1948.
Since that date and until the end of the year, the demand for the service showed a
steady and substantial increase. During the 6 months the weekly number of hours of
service provided increased by 25 per cent., from 6,115 hours during the week ended
7th July, 1948, to 7,630 hours during the last week of the year. Of the total expenditure
on the service, less than one-tenth is recovered by way of contributions from those
receiving the help.
Diphtheria Immunisation.—The arrangements for securing the protection of the
child population against diphtheria were reviewed, and a systematic combing of the
schools for unprotected children was commenced. This work in the schools was not
commenced until September, and did not begin to gain impetus until towards the
end of the year. The number of primary immunisations, in particular, is, for this
reason, small; the number during the succeeding term will be very much larger.
Primary immunisations completed 26 children
" Boosting " and " Reinforcing " injections given 519 ,,
Attendances of pre-school children at the immunisation clinics were maintained
at a satisfactory level.
Vaccination against Smallpox.—Vaccination sessions were commenced at the
beginning of July at the five centres in the Division at which diphtheria immunisation
clinics were held. The numbers of attendances have been reasonably satisfactory.
Day Nurseries.—There has been a consistently heavy demand for admission to
day nurseries, of which there are 13, providing 709 places, in the Division. The
waiting list, which is kept under constant review, includes between 500 and 600 names.
A newly-erected day nursery, of the " pre-fabricated, hutted " type, was occupied
at the end of the year, and the building previously occupied was taken over for
educational purposes.
Apart from an outbreak of Sonne Dysentery in one nursery, which was controlled
and eliminated in a short time, the health of the nursery children has been very
satisfactory.
Prior to 5th July, 1948, parties of children from the 2 Shoreditch day nurseries,
were sent regularly to stay at the Shoreditch Borough Council's Copthorne Holiday
Home, near Horley, Sussex. This arrangement has been continued. Parties of 10 to
12 children from the 2 nurseries have been sent regularly for a 2 weeks' holiday,
accompanied by 2 or 3 members of the nursery staff, who were responsible for caring
for them.
Applications for registration under the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation
Act, 1948, were received in respect of the 5 privately-owned day nurseries, and of 1
child minder, all of which were under consideration at the end of the year.
None of the boroughs in the Division had voluntary child minders' schemes in
operation before the appointed day. By the end of the year 8 women, who were
prepared to undertake the care of children by day, had been enrolled under the
Council's scheme, and 9 children had been placed in their care.
Recuperative Holidays.—Recuperative holidays were provided for 148 cases
(37 children under 5 years ; 76 children over 5 years ; 7 mothers with children under
1 year ; and 28 other adults). 46 patients were awaiting admission to holiday homes
at the end of the year.