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Residential nurseries
One of the consequences of the children Act, 1948, was that the residential
nurseries previously administered by the Public Health and Welfare Departments
were transferred to the Children's Department. The Health Department, however,
is still concerned with the health of the children and staff in the nurseries. The
importance of this associat ion was recognised by the Home Office in the memorandum
accompanying their Circular No. 124/1950, in which it is laid down that "the advice
of the Medical Officer of Health should be sought on all medical matters affecting
nurseries provided by a local authority, including the appointment of the medical
officer and, where it arises, the allocation of duties between two doctors, and on the
medical aspects of the planning of accommodation and staffing of nurseries."
The children in the residential nurseries are under the medical care of the
visiting medical officers, who examine them periodically, as well as on admission
and discharge, and as may be required. Close co-operation is maintained with the
Children's Officer in regard to questions affecting the children's health. With this in
view, the residential nurseries are visited at regular and frequent intervals by senior
members of the Council's central medical and nursing staff.
Medical and dental staff for the Council's residential nurseries are appointed to
the staff of the Public Health Department, and the Medical Officer of Health is
associated also with the appointment of nursing staff at nurseries where there is a
large proportion of children under 2 years of age, such children being particularly
prone to sudden changes of condition between health and sickness.
Adoption and boarding-out of children
During the year 794 children were referred by the Children's Officer for opinion
as to their suitability on medical grounds for adoption or boarding-out in accordance
with the duties placed upon the Council by the Children Act, 1948. Of these, 95 were
passed fit for adoption, 687 fit for boarding-out, and 12 unfit for various reasons.
It is regarded as being of the utmost importance, both for the child and for the
adoptive parents, that any adverse medical condition which may arise as the child
grows older should be fully appreciated before adoption is finally undertaken, and
every case is most carefully scrutinised with this in mind.
The care of unmarried mothers and their children
As hitherto, "the problem of illegitimacy still remains and still needs all the
skill, patience and effort which statutory authorities and voluntary organisations
can bring to its solution," and the Council has, since undertaking this responsibility
in 1948, done everything in its power to co-operate with and reinforce the work of the
moral welfare associations in aiding and rehabilitating the unmarried mother.
The care of the unmarried mother and her child is administered by the Council
as follows:—
Voluntary
homes
Voluntary homes take expectant mothers during the later stages of pregnancy
and for several weeks after confinement. With the exception of two homes, the mothers
are transferred to hospital for the confinement. The Council, as local health authority,
pays grants under section 22 (1) of the National Health Service Act, 1946, to voluntary
organisations maintaining mother and baby homes, the homes being visited by medical