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144
About 3,764 children from 14 schools in Islington had tuberculin skin tests and
974 of these had X-ray examinations at the mass radiography unit: 412 were positive
reactors to the skin test and 3,352 were negative. Seven children were subsequently
referred to the local chest clinic for further examination and observation.
The hostel for tuberculous men at Highbury Quadrant was opened on 29th October,
1951. There is accommodation for 37 residents which includes two chalets installed in
the gardens towards the end of the year. The hostel has been fully utilised and is
visited on a rota basis by members of the Divisional Health Committee.
Health
education
Lectures and demonstrations, supplemented by films were given at welfare centres.
A programme of health publicity was followed by which the same topics were concentrated
upon at each centre. The various establishments exhibited posters and
distributed leaflets according to this programme, the topic being changed once a month.
Short articles on health matters were published from time to time in the Islington
public library bulletin.
General practitioners and hospitals in the area assisted the Council's campaign for
immunisation against diphtheria by displaying posters on their premises.
Conclusion
As a newcomer to the division I should like to say how much I have appreciated
the interest shown and the encouragement given by the Chairman and Members of
the Divisional Health Committee. I have also much valued the help and co-operation
of the three borough medical officers of health; and I owe gratitude to many general
practitioners, voluntary societies, hospital staffs and last, but not least, to my own
divisional staff, medical, nursing and administrative.
Division 4, comprising the boroughs of Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington.
Dr. S. King reports :
Woodberry
Down health
centre
This comprehensive health centre was opened on 14th October, 1952, and by the
end of the year 41 sessions of local health authority services were being held each week.
The general practitioner and dental services, which are the responsibility of the London
Executive Council and which are to be open to the public generally had not been
commenced by the end of the year. A mothers' club and sewing class have been
inaugurated successfully and the hall at the centre has been used for a number of lectures.
The centre has attracted considerable publicity and by the end of the year well over
600 visitors had been conducted over the premises.
Maternity
and child
welfare
Attendances at infant welfare and ante-natal sessions and home visits by health
visitors all showed improvement compared with the previous year, despite the continuing
shortage of health visitors. Under an arrangement made with Hackney Hospital some
mothers have, since 17th November, 1952, been referred from the hospital to the
Council's clinics for interim ante-natal care. It is hoped that this co-operation may be
extended to other maternity hospitals in the division.
Day nurseries
and
child-minders
Two day nurseries were transferred to newly erected premises (Woodberry Down
and St. John's, Hackney Churchyard) during the year. The move to the new nurseries
reduced the total available accommodation in the division from 668 to 666 child places.
The priority waiting list for nursery admission contained the names of 110 children
at the end of the year compared with 163 a year earlier.
Five private day nurseries registered under the Nurseries and Child-Minders
Regulation Act, 1948, provide accommodation for 177 children and there are three
statutorily registered child-minders approved for the care of 13 children.
There were at the end of the year 71 approved daily minders having in their care
57 children under school age.
Vaccination
and
immunisation
Considerable work has been done in the division in carrying out schick-tests on
schoolchildren over ten years of age. It is of interest to note that approximately onethird
of those children tested gave a positive reaction and were immunised against
diphtheria. Only two cases of diphtheria (one adult, and a child for whom no record
of immunisation is held) occurred in the division during the year.