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128
Maternity
and child
welfare
services
Health Visiting.—The past year has shown a substantial increase in the number
of visits made by health visitors. A total of 138,901 visits was made compared with
120,490 for the year 1949.
Sessions.—Additional maternity and child welfare sessions have been provided
at various centres during the year, including special toddlers' clinics, play centres,
mothercraft classes, cookery and sewing classes.
Day
nurseries
Medical Staff.—The opportunity has been taken for the interchange, on a
sessional basis, of assistant medical officers with Registrars of hospitals in the division.
(a) Accommodation.—The 23 Council day nurseries in the division provide
accommodation for 1,348 children, and despite application of the priorities for admission
as laid down by the Health Committee, the waiting list of children at the end
of the year totalled 1,378, of which 1,068 were priority cases.
(b) Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act.—The Divisional Health Committee
have registered 15 child-minders and 15 private day nurseries since the
operation of the Act until the end of 1950. Three of the child-minders have ceased to
operate as such since registration. Regular periodical supervision of both premises
and child-minders is maintained by the Council's medical officers and health visitors.
(c) Child-minders.— The number of child-minders on the Council's voluntary
list increased from 72 at the end of 1949 to 101.
School
health
services
The work of school medical inspection has proceeded smoothly, and eight
assistant medical officers are now combining this work with maternity and child
welfare. Additional vision sessions and an orthoDtic clinic have been arranged.
Home help
service
The service, already well established before 5th July, 1948, has been considerably
extended, and a total of 3,111 applications for home helps was received during the
year. The average number of households receiving assistance each week was approximately
1,000.
Tuberculosis
lhere has been close liaison tor care and after-care with the chest consultants
and almoners at the chest clinics, and plans are in hand for extension of the arrangements
for care and after-care during the forthcoming year.
Vaccination
and
immunisation
In addition to the service provided by the general practitioners, the Council
has provided in the division centres at which vaccination and immunisation can
be carried out. During the year 6,727 people, mostly children, were vaccinated
and 12,170 immunised against diphtheria.
Health
education
One of the assistant medical officers plans and co-ordinates the health education
activities of the division.
Liaison
with
hospitals
Liaison with the hospitals in the area has advanced during the year. An
enuresis clinic has been established at University College Hospital for school children
on the recommendation of the divisional treatment organisation, and beds at St.
Charles' Hospital have been allocated for urgent tonsil and adenoid cases.
Divisional
co-ordination
Periodic meetings of certain of the assistant medical officers with the divisional
staff for discussion on medical and administrative matters has proved of great
advantage.
Conclusion
I would again like to express my sincere appreciation to all those operating
the health services in the division, and in particular to the help and encouragement
given by the Divisional Health Committee.
Division 3, comprising the boroughs of Finsbury, Holborn and Islington.
Dr. A. B. Stewart reports:—
Care of
mothers
and young
children
Places for 609 children were provided at the eleven day nurseries in the division.
In addition, there were three private day nurseries registered under the Nurseries
and Child-Minders Regulation Act, providing up to a maximum of 185 places, and
at the end of the year 166 children were being cared for during the day by childminders.
The number of priority cases awaiting admission to the Council's day