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With the closing of the local offices of the Ministry of Food, responsibility for the
distribution of welfare foods passed to Local Health Authorities on 28th June. A scheme
was drawn up for the distribution of these foods at all infant welfare and toddlers'
sessions in this division and at a few other places which the anticipated public demand
seemed to justify. The changeover worked quite smoothly and only minor variations
in ooening hours were subseauentlv made.
Welfare
foods
All clinic sessions are reviewed periodically, and alterations in their frequency and
duration are made as circumstances demand. Several such adjustments were made during
the year, and in this connection I regret to record that it was found necessary to reduce
the weekly immunisation and vaccination session at the Wellington Way centre from a
' long ' to a ' short' session. Despite the constant efforts of the health visitors, the number
of infants vaccinated in this division continues to be lower than that in any other.
Sessions
In April the first relaxation classes for expectant mothers in this Division were started
at the Cornwall Avenue centre with the co-operation of the staff of the Maternity
Department of Bethnal Green Hospital, and are continuing most successfully, thanks to
the enthusiasm of the health visitor concerned.
The improvement in the priority dental services which was welcomed last year has,
unfortunately, failed to continue, and during 1954 the total weekly dental sessions were
reduced by nine.
Dental
service
A further expansion was noted in the child-minder service, there being 128 voluntarily
registered minders caring for 89 children at the end of the year as compared with 108
minders with 83 children at its commencement. These child-minders were under constant
supervision by the health visitors and attended the clinics regularly with the children
in their care.
Child-minders
The demand for the services of home helps steadily increased and the constant
endeavour was to expand the service sufficiently to meet the demand. During the year
the households attended in this division, per thousand of the population, again exceeded
the London average.
riome helps
The calls on the district nursing associations continued to be heavy, and during thi
year the number of visits per nurse was again higher than in any other division.
; District nurses
A good deal of work was done by the health visitors during the year in health education,
both in the clinics and in the homes. I hope for an expansion of this very useful
contribution to preventive medicine. In addition to their other routine duties, the
extensive and painstaking case-work which they continue to do in connection with the
problem families, deserves mention.
Health visitors
Division 6, comprising the boroughs of Deptford, Greenwich and Woolwich.
Dr. F. R. Waldron reports :
Special investigation clinics, at which more thorough examination and guidance is
given to children referred from infant welfare centres and school medical examinations,
were held at the principal centres in Deptford, Eltham, Greenwich and Woolwich.
Special
investigation
clinics
The revised syllabus of training for nurses, which requires training to be given in the
social aspects of disease and personal and communal health, was implemented by granting
facihties for field experience and visits of observation to student nurses from hospitals
in the division. Lectures were given periodically at these hospitals by divisional medical
and nursing officers.
Student
nurses'
training
The closest link between hospital staff, general practitioners, voluntary workers
officers of other departments and the school health service continued with resultam
benefit to all concerned. The Kidbrooke school (accommodation for 2,210 girls) openec
in October. Medical inspection, minor ailments, dental and vision sessions were held ir
the school's suite of medical rooms.
School
health
service
Speech therapy classes for an increasing number of children were held at nine centres
2,519 children were treated during the year at cleansing stations, compared witl
2.297 in 1953.
Speech therapy
Bathing and
cleansing
137