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48
Voluntary organisations
Nineteen voluntary organisations have provided 22 maternity and child welfare
centres under agreements with the Council in accordance with section 22 of the
National Health Service Act. The centres are managed by voluntary committees.
The Council is represented on the committees and has power of inspection of the
premises. During the year, two centres (the Downham Infant Welfare Centre and
the Moffat Institute Child and Infant Welfare Centre) transferred to more suitable
accommodation in the Council's premises, the voluntary committees continuing to
administer them. The West Norwood Maternity and Babies' Welfare Centre was
taken over by the Council at the request of the voluntary committee. For infant
welfare clinics provided by arrangement with medical schools, see pace 52.
rroviamg
day nurseries
and creches
Arrangements with the six voluntary associations providing day nursery
facilities continued satisfactorily during the year. Financial assistance was granted
towards the maintenance cost of two nursery play groups. Applications for financial
assistance were received from a further two voluntary bodies, and negotiations were
still proceeding at the end of the year.
Providing
residential
accommodation
By arrangement with the two bodies concerned, considerable use was made by
the Council of the facilities available at the Mothercraft Training Society, Highgate
Hill, and the Violet Melchett Infant Welfare Centre, Chelsea, for the in-patient
treatment of mothers and babies experiencing breast feeding difficulties and of
babies with dietetic upsets. Patients recommended for admission pay at an agreed
rate. Children under six months old accompanied by their mothers are admitted free.
Clinics
Variations in the attendances at sessions of different types held in the maternity
and child welfare centres are shown in the table on page 46. The areas served by
the various centres are defined, and it is to the advantage of mothers and children
to attend the appropriate centre, so that contact with the health visitor of their area
can be maintained. There is, however, freedom of choice as to which centre is
attended.
Tests
Clinic medical officers, many of whom are general practitioners holding parttime
appointments with the Council, have where possible been allocated according
to preference to infant welfare or ante-natal and post-natal work.
Every expectant mother attending the Council's ante-natal clinics for the first
time has a specimen of her blood taken in order that tests may be made for the
Rhesus factor and the Wassermann reaction. The necessary laboratory services,
including those needed in connection with outbreaks or suspected outbreaks of
active infectious disease, are carried out in hospital laboratories free of charge to the
Council until such time as these services can be made available by the public health
laboratory service.
Pregnancy diagnosis tests are carried out for the Council at the Ministry of
Health's laboratory in Shrodell's Hospital, Watford.
Health
education
An investigation is being undertaken at a few clinics to ascertain the age at
which children become sensitised to tuberculin.
Every opportunity has been taken to make full use of the educational activities
in the centres. These are mainly talks on mothercraft by health visitors and sewing
classes for expectant and nursing mothers. A working party has considered the
possibility of extending these activities. Health visitors have co-operated with
school nursing sisters and nursery staff in giving courses of lectures in parent-craft
for schools and polytechnics and for nursery students for the Nursery Nurses'
Examination Board and in allied subjects.
Family
planning
The family Planning Association holds clinics in premises transferred to the
Council under the National Health Service Act, and some extension of the facilities