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voluntary organisations having grants in aid from the Council operated two welfare
clinics, two branches, and two nursery creches, one of which, however, was closed
during the year.
Day Nurseries.—Two private nurseries, associated with industrial premises,
were established and registered during the year. Fourteen women were registered
also under the appropriate Act to mind a maximum of 45 children. In addition to
these registered compulsorily a further 129 women were voluntarily registered to
care for 132 children and received the Council's weekly registration fee. Forty
registered foster mothers caring for sixty children also reside in the Division.
The great demand for day nursery places continued. With the restricted
accommodation only urgent priority cases were considered. At the end of the year
562 applicants were waiting of whom 308 were in the priority groups. Considerable
progress was made towards equipping the nurseries up to the standard laid down
by the Council, and the more urgent renovation work was started, use being made
of the Divisional Committee's delegated powers to supplement the work of the
Architect's programme.
The Divisional Committee, in view of sparse attendances and in the interests
of economy closed all but one of the Divisional day nurseries on Saturdays. It
became necessary to close one day nursery owing to structural defects. The
children were absorbed elsewhere and the staff transferred to duty at other
nurseries.
An outbreak of Sonne dysentery in a nursery resulted in the diagnosis of 15
cases. Suitable measures were taken, and all the children recovered. The facilities
for medical inspection of day nursery children have been extended. The medical
staff now visit weekly.
Midday Meals.—The scheme for the provision of meals to expectant and
nursing mothers and children under 5 on a selective basis on medical recommendation
at two welfare centres was altered during the year so as to operate through
the Council's restaurant service on a voucher system.
Home Helps. — The expansion of this service was considerable. By the end
of the year the number of households attended was 90 per cent, more than the
corresponding 1948 figure. The available service was equitably distributed
throughout the division. Eleven Home Helps were successful in obtaining the
diploma of the National Institute of Houseworkers during the year.
Vaccination and Immunisation. — 43 per cent. of babies under 12 months
were successfully vaccinated during the year. Seven vaccination sessions were held
each week at welfare centres. The mobile clinic continued its propaganda work for
diphtheria immunisation during May, June and July; 1,555 injections were given
in the mobile clinic. The immunisation sessions were increased from five to eight
partly to cater for increased work in connection with whooping cough immunisation.
Tuberculosis After Care. This work was carried out at the four chest clinics in
the Division. There are three voluntary committees. The scale of issue of extra
nourishment, which had varied from borough to borough, was standardised at an
improved level and grants were made to 50 cases during the year.
School Health Service. Additional nutrition clinics were commenced at two
centres in the Division to cope with the number of children requiring attention.
The other work of the department continued as before.
Publicity. The co-operation of local newspaper editors and the borough librarians
has resulted in the appearance of short reports and articles on public health topics
of general interest and newspaper reports of the activities of the Divisional Health
Committee.