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from time to time. Special foods and nutrients which are not on the approved list
may be supplied for individual cases at the discretion of the divisional medical
officers.
Sunday cinema grants
Mothers and children at maternity and child welfare centres and day nurseries
have enjoyed amenities, e.g., Christmas parties, seaside and country excursions
provided out of allocations made from contributions received by the Council from
Sunday cinema entertainments. The funds are administered by voluntary committees
set up in each division.
Marriage guidance
The report of the Departmental Committee on Marriage Guidance set up by the
Secretary of State for Home Affairs (the " Harris Report"—Cmd. 7566), recommended
that financial assistance in this field should be made by local authorities to
the London Marriage Guidance Council, the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council and
the Family Discussion Bureaux organisation of the Family Welfare Association.
The Council, after consulting the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee,
made an interim grant to each body pending a decision on future policy.
Home visiting and after-care : co-operation with hospital almoners
Negotiations took place with the hospital authorities and the Institute of
Almoners on the question of the after-care arrangements for persons discharged from
hospitals. The Ministry of Health, in Circular 160/48 on the respective spheres of
the almoner and the local health authority, state that when a patient who needs care
and after-care is about to leave the hospital, the almoner should ensure that as far
as possible the local health authority's Part III Services would be brought into play.
There has been longstanding and widespread co-operation between the almoners and
the Council's field workers, such as the health visitors and the child care organisers.
It is proposed to provide, through the divisional medical officers, a regular channel
of approach for the almoners whereby the divisional medical officers will put the
Council's Part III Services at the full disposal of the almoners. The Council will
encourage direct approach by almoners to its field workers for mutual discussion and
exchange of information. Provision is also made for close co-operation in this field
of work with voluntary agencies, such as the Invalid Children's Aid Association and
the Family Welfare Association.
Notification of births
Notifications were received during the year of 60,685 live and 1,236 still-births.
These are of actual births occurring in the county and have not been corrected
according to the place of residence of the parents. The corrected figures (based on
births registered) are used for the vital statistics (page 5). It is interesting to note
that 6,754 of the births notified were to women residing outside the county.
Quadruplets
Quadruplets were born to a London mother in Westminster Hospital on
12th September, 1950. The mother had previously attended one of the Council's
ante-natal clinics and been referred to the hospital. The Council's health visitor kept
in close touch with the hospital staff to prepare for the homecoming of the quadruplets
on discharge from hospital. The Council and borough housing departments also
co-operated in providing a larger flat for the family. On the advice of the hospital
medical attendant, special provision was made for the home nursing of the babies,
when they were discharged on 20th November, 1950, whereby the hospital would
provide a night nurse for four weeks and a day nurse for about three months and the
Council refund the nurses' salaries. A full-time home help was also sent by the
Council.