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96
The members of the divisional health committee have made themselves familiar
with the establishments under their control by a series of visits arranged on a rota
basis which has the effect that, in the first nine months, all members will have visited
each establishment at least once. Members have also made a number of individual
visits. Attention has been concentrated, though not exclusively, on the condition of
the buildings and orders have been given to the Council's technical officers for improvements
or have been incorporated in the programme of building works for the ensuing
year.
Division 2, comprising the boroughs of Hampstead, Paddington, St. Marylebone,
St. Pancras and Westminster.
Dr. H. L. Oldershaw reports:
The transfer of the Maternity and Child Welfare services from the Borough
Councils on the "appointed day" was accomplished without difficulty, and the
services continued to operate smoothly.
The Division has a population of 565,420. There are 23 maternity and child
welfare centres, 23 day nurseries, 6 school treatment centres and 8 minor ailment
centres for school children.
The welfare centres in the City of Westminster (3) and Marylebone (2) are buildings
specially built for the purpose. A third centre in Marylebone is nearing completion.
In Hampstead two converted buildings are in use, together with a building
of the Regional Hospital Board, but two plots of land had been secured on which
centres will be built. In Paddington, there is one well-planned maternity and child
welfare centre, but all the subsidiary centres are in church halls, etc. The welfare
centres in St. Pancras are appropriately located, and consist of two specially built
centres and two converted houses. The security of tenure of some of these temporary
premises is uncertain and efforts are constantly being made towards consolidation.
The medical staff engaged in the division on maternity and child welfare work is
a combination of full-time assistants and sessional workers, except in St. Pancras
where only full-time medical officers are engaged.
On the 31st December, there were 54 health visitors working in the Division.
This figure is 11 below establishment (adopting the standard of one health visitor to
150 births), but by adjustments between districts covered, every effort was made to
ensure that all infants received adequate supervision. Special attention was paid to
the care of unmarried mothers and their children, each health visitor acting as a
Special Worker under Ministry of Health Circular 2866/44 on her own district. The
supervision of children coming within the scope of the Child Life Protection provisions
continued to be exercised by health visitors pending the transfer of the function to
the Children's Department.
Attendances at maternity and child welfare centres were satisfactory and the
number of Special Toddlers' sessions was increased.
Since the repeal of the Vaccination Acts, every endeavour is being made to
secure that all babies are vaccinated. Ten clinics were opened in the Division during
the period. A spot check revealed that approximately 46 per cent. of infants under
one year of age attending the welfare centres had been vaccinated. This unfortunately
is a decrease on the percentage prior to the 5th July, but increased publicity at
both welfare centres and day nurseries has been directed to remedy this defect.
In addition to the special Diphtheria Immunisation campaign during September,
all staff in contact with mothers continue to urge the necessity for immunisation.
Further immunisation sessions were commenced where necessary. Inoculations
against whooping cough are provided on request, and are usually combined with
Diphtheria Immunisation.