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rate of increase is 46 per cent. Quantitative development has not de.personalised
the service, for special arrangements have been made to treat some aged and housebound
patients brought to the foot clinics by transport.
Health
education
As an adjunct to the continuous preventive educational work carried on by
medical officers, health visitors and other field staff throughout the year, film strips
to illustrate group talks were increasingly used at maternity and child welfare centres.
Division 7, comprising the boroughs of Camberwell and Lewisham.
Dr. H. D. Chalke reports :—
Premises
During the year premises in Lordship Lane formerly used by the Restaurants
and Catering Department, were made available. After adaptation they will be used
as a maternity and child welfare, school treatment and dental centre. It was found
necessary, unfortunately, to discontinue the infant welfare clinics held at St. John's
Hospital; temporary accommodation for this session was found at a church hall,
but it is hoped to replace this by a hutted centre in the vicinity of Blackheath Hill
in the near future. Owing to the absence of alternative accommodation, infant
welfare clinics continue to be held in 8 church halls. Many of these halls are ill.
adapted for this purpose and high standards of cleanliness and adequate heating
are particularly difficult to maintain. Health education is the prime function of
infant welfare centres: it is not easy to disseminate it from centres such as these.
The voluntary committees concerned are to be congratulated on their zeal and
enthusiasm in an adverse environmental background.
The Former Peckham Health Centre—renamed the Queen's Road Health Centre
—was taken over by the Council during the year. This has entailed a great deal of
extra work for the administrative staff of the division. Ante.natal and educational
sessions were opened at the Centre for both Division 7 patients and those from
Division 6.
Clinics
Additional diphtheria immunisation and vaccination clinics have been established.
The practice of using only the subcutaneous method of inoculation at
diphtheria immunisation clinics, has been maintained during the year. Dr. Bousfield
continues his research work in the field of diphtheria immunisation and his advice
and assistance are invaluable.
Health
education
The chiropody clinic held at the Central Lewisham Weltare Centre was transferred
to premises at Sangley Road. Accommodation was also found in this building
for a sub.office of the school treatment service; this is advantageous since the
building also houses the Youth Employment Officer and the District Care Organiser.
Additions have been made to the film.strip library. The lending library scheme,
which proved so successful, was extended to other centres. The practice of
holding "open days " at selected centres continued, and the results were very
encouraging. Mothercraft classes in schools, as well as at welfare centres, continued
to be popular. A lecture demonstration course for fathers was commenced at one of
the centres and though the numbers were small, the enthusiasm was large. This
experiment is being repeated.
Welfare
of old
people
A further statistical survey has been made of the circumstances of aged persons
in receipt of home help and district nursing. The information is now in process of
being analysed. Every effort was made during the year to improve liaison with
statutory and voluntary bodies—including hospital geriatric units—with considerable
success. In a number of cases it has been found necessary to make available at
week ends and public holidays the services of home helps for aged bedridden persons
who are entirely alone. One of the outstanding requirements in this connection is
the provision of a sitter.up service; it has been found impossible to set up such a
service on a voluntary basis. A gap in the preventive services which would appear
to require filling as quickly as possible is the lack of facilities for the routine examination
and supervision of ageing people: gerontological "clinics," in association with
chiropody and physiotherapy would meet this need.