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The dental services for expectant and nursing mothers and children under five
years of age were restricted by the difficulty of obtaining the services of dental officers.
Nevertheless, 2,184 attendances were made by mothers and 644 by children under
five years of age during the period under review.
The Invalid Children's Aid Association acted as agents for the Council in
arranging for the admission of cases to holiday homes, the charges, where applicable,
being collected by divisional staff. In all, 326 cases from this Division were admitted
during the period. No difficulty is experienced in obtaining vacancies for mothers
and other adults, and normally only a short delay occurs in admitting children. There
were only 46 cases on the waiting list at the end of the year.
At the physiotherapeutic clinics operating at the Maternity and Child Welfare
Centres in the Division, 4,325 attendances were made and the patients received the
following treatments, Light, 1,109, Heat 135, Massage 2,688, Exercises 1,822.
There are four Foot Clinics in the Division, at three of which treatment is given
to expectant and nursing mothers, while the fourth is available to all female inhabitants
of the Borough. A total of 404 attendances at 88 sessions were made during the
period. Pending further consideration by the Ministry of Health the Council is only
permitted to continue pre-July arrangements and not to expand.
The demand for day nursery accommodation continues to be greatly in excess of
the number of places available. There were at the end of the year, 3,121 cases on the
waiting list for the 1,398 places in the twenty-three nurseries. An agreement was
concluded with the Westminster Health Society whereby the Society continued to
provide nursery accommodation for 30 cases of a special nature. It will be appreciated
that most of the day nursery premises in the Division were requisitioned and adapted
during the war period. As a consequence there is considerable scope for alteration in
detail in many of these nurseries. Reference must be made to the increase in number
and quality of the toys and play material since the 5th July; and in particular,
tribute must be paid to the Park's Department for the improvement they have
effected in the gardens of the day nurseries.
To supplement the day nurseries the Daily Minder Service was in operation and
34 minders were caring for 35 children at the end of the year. The Nurseries and
Child-Minders Regulation Act, 1948, imposed the duty on the Council of registering
and supervising private day nurseries and child-minders looking after three or more
children. Investigations were made into applications received, prior to reporting to
the Divisional Committee for registration.
The scope of the home help service was increased, and 836 cases were being
assisted during the last three weeks of the period compared with 540 during the first
three weeks after the "appointed day." This increase was principally in respect of
St. Pancras, as the Home Help Services of Westminster and Hampstead were already
substantially developed. The number of registered home helps at the end of the year
was 204, of whom 135 were full-time. Because of the great demand it was necessary
to investigate each case carefully and reduce the period of assistance to the minimum
necessary.
Ten sets of premature baby equipment were located at suitable centres throughout
the Division for use where necessary at domiciliary confinements.
Every help and assistance has been given to the District Nursing Association
operating in the Division. The following figures of the home nursing carried out by
the District Nursing Associations during the month of December, 1948, indicates the
extent and success of their activities:—
No. of new patients visited 512
No. of old patients visited 562
Total No. of visits paid 11,616