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Home
Help
Service
The number of Home Helps (in terms of full-time units) has been increased from
160 in 1950, to 186 during 1951. It is only by the continued vigilance of the five
Home Help Organisers operating in the division that one can be. assured that
the Home Helps are being deployed to the best advantage. For the successful
operation and economic use of this scheme each application must be carefully vetted
before a Home Help is allocated, and frequent periodic home visits must be paid to
ascertain any change in circumstances.
Westminster
quadruplets
Considerable press publicity has been given to the quadruplets born in Westminster,
and whose mother attended the Council Ante-Natal Clinic where the diagnosis
was first made. Home nursing service as well as home help service has been
provided for the Quads by the Council throughout the year.
Specialist
clinics
As a result of negotiations between the Council and the Regional Hospital
Board, responsibility for the provision of specialist services for certain clinics was
transferred during the year to the Regional Hospital Board. The Board took over
the financial responsibility for Vision, Orthoptic, E.N.T. and Rheumatism Clinics
held on Council premises as from April, 1951, but close association with the Divisional
Organisation was retained through the Treatment Organisers.
Tuberculosis
after care
A Divisional Tuberculosis Care Committee has been formed, and they have
reviewed the work of the Tuberculosis Care Committee already operating in the Division
and reappointed the Care Committees in Hampstead and Marylebone which had
lapsed. Opportunity has been taken to obtain voluntary funds from various sources
for the use of certain of the local care committees.
Vaccination
and
immunisation
During the year, 12,876 cases were vaccinated as compared with 6,727 in 1950.
The increase was due to the press publicity resulting from the occurrence of cases of
Smallpox in a south coast resort at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, there
has been a decrease of about 12 per cent. in the number of diphtheria immunisations
during the year, occasioned, no doubt, by the outbreak of Poliomyelitis and the
possibility that diphtheria immunisation, at times of such prevalence, leads to a
slightly increased risk of an attack.
Health
education
Regular Mothercraft classes are being given in certain schools by the nursing
staff. In the larger welfare centres, arrangements have been made for the groupteaching
of Mothercraft, and also for short talks to be given on health subjects. In
addition, ten cookery and needlework classes are given by the Council's teachers in
our welfare centres. Parent clubs have been established in five of the welfare centres.
Conclusion
I express my sincere appreciation of the hard and conscientious work of all those
operating the health services in the division.
Division 3, comprising the boroughs of Finsbury, Holborn and Islington.
Care of
mother*
and
young
children
Dr. A. B. Stewart reports:—
Places for 622 children existed in the eleven day nurseries in the division.
In addition there were three private day nurseries (two associated with industrial
premises) registered under the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act, providing
up to a maximum of 175 places, and at the end of the year 136 children were being
cared for during the day by 119 child-minders. The number of priority cases awaiting
admission to the Council's day nurseries on the 31st. December, 1951, was 146 as
compared with 302 at the beginning of the year.
Fifteen maternity and child welfare centres (including branch clinics) were
operating in the division throughout the year. The total number of live births in
the division (4,745) showed an approximate decrease of 5 per cent. on the previous
year's figure. The total attendances of children at the infant welfare clinics were.