View report page

142
Health
education
The work of health education was carried out throughout the year. The health
visitors were the chief workers in this field and a small group of health visitors met
together to discuss methods of intensifying propaganda in preventive medicine. Health
visitors took turns to arrange the displays in a Brixton shop window and many successful
displays, especially those on the protection of food, accidents in the home and cleanliness
were shown during the year.
Division 9, comprising the Boroughs of Battersea and Wandsworth.
Dr. J. T. R. Lewis reports :
1 have much pleasure in reporting on the work of Division 9 for 1953, the second
year since my colleagues and I took over our duties in this area.
In general the year was uneventful and there was no outstanding matter to which
attention need be directed. One of our main concerns was planning the needs of the
large increases of population in the division consequent upon the new building programmes
in the area. This is a very important subject to which a good deal of attention
was given, and to which further reference is made below.
Premises
At the end of the year negotiations were in progress for setting up a maternity and
child welfare centre at St. Peter's Church Hall, Prescott Place, Wandsworth, in place
of Clapham Manor welfare centre and St. Margaret's Church Hall, Cricklade Avenue,
S.W.
The closure of Southfields day nursery in August is referred to on page 52.
The premises used for the Tooting school treatment centre had to be vacated and
as a temporary expedient the work was distributed between three centres, pending the
coming into use of other premises which have been acquired.
As mentioned above, consideration was given to the establishment of welfare and
school treatment centres mainly in the Roehampton district in anticipation of the large
influx of population into the newly-built residential areas, and of a welfare centre in
the South Streatham area.
Immunisation
and
vaccination
Compared with the year 1952 the number of children immunised against diphtheria
showed a decrease of 6.5 per cent. On the other hand, the figures for whooping-cough
immunisation revealed an increase of 36 per cent. A slight reduction occurred in the
number of persons vaccinated.
Research
An interesting and important investigation into the efficacy of a combined prophylactic
against diphtheria and whooping cough is being conducted, in conjunction
with the Medical Research Council. It will probably be some years before the final
answer can be given but it is hoped eventually to obtain some definite information as
to the value of combined immunisation against these two diseases.
Day nurseries
There were 639 places in the thirteen day nurseries. Ten of these nurseries are
recognised for training students.
Special
investigation
clinics
At clinics concerned with the problem of bed wetting there were 1,531 attendances
and 210 sessions. These figures showed a decrease of 22 per cent and 5 per cent
respectively on the number of attendances and sessions for 1952. On the other hand, the
number of new patients, amounting to 253, showed a close approximation to the
number recorded in 1952.
Recuperative
holidays
Applications for recuperative holidays placed through the division numbered 946, as
compared with 1,019 in the previous year. Direct placing amounted to 44.4 per cent.
of the total placing and constituted a slight increase over the percentage for 1952.
Home help
service
Home helps attended 2,790 households, representing an increase of 8 per cent. over
the figures of the previous year.
Home
nursing
Equipment was loaned to 29 patients, compared with 24 in 1952. 25 patients were
still using the equipment at the end of the year. District nurses paid 197,373 visits; an
increase of 7 per cent. over the number of visits recorded in 1952.