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Continued emphasis was given to the importance of vaccination and immunisation.
During the year 4,741 children were vaccinated against small-pox ; 7,531 children
completed a primary course of diphtheria immunisation and 7,056 children received
re-inforcing injections ; in addition 4,408 children were immunised against whooping
cough.
Vaccination
and
immunisation
Throughout the year particular attention was given to problem families. Coordination
of this work was achieved by means of frequent informal conferences convened
by medical officers and health visitors at welfare centres. The unfailing co-operation
with officers of the Council of all welfare workers and representatives of organisations
concerned with this aspect of the work was of inestimable value in helping to alleviate
difficulties encountered and to improve the state of many families. By the end of the
year the index register contained information of over 100 families who were receiving
careful supervision and help. In three instances during 1954, in which it was considered
that a period of training would be beneficial, arrangements were made for mothers,
accompanied by their children, to be sent to a rehabilitation centre.
Problem
. families
Commencing on 5th February, 1954, a monthly session was held at Barnes House
welfare centre, St. Pancras, to which parents of any mentally-backward children under
five years of age, known to the medical or health visiting staff in the division, and who
were not attending a hospital for the treatment of their special defect, were invited to
bring their children to discuss their difficulties and to be given advice and practical help
by the medical officer in charge. Attendances were good and the clinic has proved most
successful.
Special
advisory clinic
for backward
children
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demands made on health grounds. The great majority of those assisted were the chronic
sick, including aged and infirm. The use made of the special services attached to the
home help service was limited, although 96 hours of night help and early morning
and evening service were provided in 20 households.
Home help
: service
Weekly foot clinic sessions were held at four welfare centres and, in Hampstead,
Paddington and St. Marylebone, the local old people's welfare committees continued
to provide chiropody facilities for aged folk in Council premises.
Foot clinics
Group teaching has always been a feature or the health visitors work and is still
developing, as shown by the following activities.
Health
education
(a) Film strip projectors were used at a number of centres and loaned to district
nursing associations ; sound films have been used at one or two centres.
(b) Portable exhibits on various topics were circulated to all maternity and child
welfare centres.
(c) All centres have had an initial supply of equipment for teaching purposes, and
it is hoped that further supplies will be available in 1955. Posters, leaflets and
booklets on health topics were distributed to all centres and schools.
(d) Mothercraft talks took place at seven centres and demonstrations of gas and
air analgesia were given by a local midwife.
(e) Special demonstrations on cooking and sewing were given at eleven centres.
Eight health visitors have taken a recognised course in parent-craft teaching and
several members of the staff compose and paint their own posters. Frequent renewal of
displays on topical subjects, such as, ' Accidents in the Home ' is effected.
A fathers' club, recently started at one centre (University College Hospital), is
flourishing, with 20-24 attendances and two or three mothers' clubs have entertained
speakers on varying subjects.
There are 12 schools where either a health visitor or school nursing sister is teaching
mothercraft and it is hoped that this number will increase in 1955.
Special meetings were held with the general practitioners working in the division sc
that they could have an opportunity of meeting, personally and informally, the council'!
medical officers and health visitors. Separate meetings were held for each of the five
divisions of the British Medical Association operating in division 2.
129
Co-operation
with general
practitioners