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probation service, the local hospitals, and about 25 voluntary organisations. A standing
committee of the divisional medical officer, the divisional education officer, the area
children's officer, and the district care organiser was formed for the purpose of keeping
the problems under constant review.
Problem
families
Official interest was first drawn to problem families in West London before July,
1948, when a pilot enquiry in Kensington was organised by the Eugenics Society. The
results of this investigation are now published and the Eugenics Society have elected
one of the health visitors in the division an honorary Life Fellow in recognition of her
work on the enquiry.
In October, 1948, a branch of the Family Service Units started work among the
problem families in Kensington and Paddington. The divisional staff have kept in close
touch with the unit, whose workers co-operate with health visitors and children's care
workers. A home help is provided to serve problem families in the division, working in
collaboration with the staff of the unit.
Home
nursing
A great expansion in the work of the district nurses has helped to solve difficulties
which might otherwise have been caused by the demand for hospital beds. Improved
recruiting of staff has been reflected by visits showing an increase of 500 a week compared
with 1951 and 1,000 a week compared with 1950. The popularity of the service
is well deserved bv the efficiency and devotion of the nursing staff.
Home help
service
The steady increase in the volume of home help work continued throughout the
year. The Kensington home help office has been transferred to North Kensington,
where it is more conveniently situated for the majority of the clients. At the same time
the boundary between the Kensington and Chelsea home help areas was adjusted so
that most of South Kensington is now served by the Chelsea office, which has been
transferred to a more central point off King's Road, Chelsea.
Co-operation
with local
hospitals
For some time there has been useful co-operation in the Division between the childwelfare
clinics and children's hospitals. A paediatrician from the Victoria Hospital for
Children conducts a weekly infant-welfare session at South Kensington welfare centre,
and in exchange one of the Council's assistant medical officers acts as clinical assistant
at a weekly hospital session. There is also an interchange of medical officers between
Westway welfare centre and the Institute of Child Health at Hammersmith Hospital;
one of the hospital registrars takes a weekly welfare session, and one of the Council's
medical officers attends a weekly follow-up clinic for infants at the hospital.
Conclusion
In conclusion I must record my thanks to the Divisional Health Committee for their
support and encouragement, to the borough medical officers of health for their ready
co-operation, and to the divisional staff for their admirable work during the year.
Division 2, comprising the boroughs of Hampstead, Paddington, St. Marylebone, St.
Pancras and Westminster.
Dr. H. L. Oldershaw reports :
Staff
The arrangement by which most of the medical officers have experience of both
maternity and child welfare and school health services was continued, and most of them
will also have the opportunity of clinical experience in one of the children's departments
of certain of the hospitals in the division. One of the medical officers was appointed
deputy medical officer of health by the Paddington borough council which is in accordance
with the policy approved by the County Council.
It is pleasing to report that no less than 26 of the health visitors in the division now
undertake combined work.
Day nurseries
and
child-minders
There was another reduction in the waiting list for day nursery accommodation,
and at the end of the year only 195 priority cases were awaiting admission. On the
other hand accommodation provided by private day nurseries increased from 541
places in 1951 to 621 places in 1952. The occupation in the Council's day nurseries
increased from 81.2 per cent. in 1951 to 88.2 per cent. in 1952.
The number of child-minders showed a further increase, but the children concerned
are not necessarily priority cases.