View report page

Day nurseries
and
child-minders
Reference is made on page 53 to the closure of the Evelyn Street day nursery, the
site and building of which passed to the Parks Department on 1st April, 1954. It was
found practicable to transfer all the children to the enlarged Amersham Road day nursery
(60 places). The amenities of this nursery were greatly improved by providing excellent
playground facilities on an adjoining piece of land. There were 83 statutorily and
voluntarily registered child-minders at 31st December, 1954, as compared with 69 at
31st December, 1953.
Foot clinics
Attendances at foot clinics totalled 73,732 and the number of treatments given to
schoolchildren and the aged continued to rise.
Home help
service
The number of separate households attended by home helps was 3,295, compared
with 3,197 in 1953. Households attended at 31st December, 1954, were 1,989, compared
with 1,820 on the same date in 1953, and 1,665 in 1952. This service is much appreciated
by an ever-increasing number of aged persons of both sexes.
Health visitors
at hospital
clinics
Continuing the policy of fostering co-operation with local hospitals, health visitors
attended out-patient paediatric, asthma and diabetic clinics on a rota system, at three
local hospitals. This action has been most effective in developing and increasing the good
relationship between Council officers, members of the hospital staff, general practitioners,
and other interested parties. It is hoped that these arrangements will be continued and
developed.
B.C.G.
vaccination
The Council s central team or medical start began visiting schools in the division in
December, to carry out where appropriate, B.C.G. vaccination of children in the year
preceding their 14th birthday. The response has been very good.
Ante-natal exercise and mothercraft classes were held weekly at nine centres.
Health
education
X-ray of
expectant
mothers
Routine chest X-rays were arranged for 1,032 expectant mothers during the year.
Of these 44 were abnormal and further investigations were needed.
District
nursing
associations
The Charlton and Blackheath District Nursing Association, the Nursing Sisters of
St. John the Divine, the Ranyard Nurses, the Silvertown and North Woolwich District
Nursing Association, and the Woolwich and Plumstead District Nursing Association,
rendered most valuable and co-operative service.
Prophylaxis
rvaaiuonai sessions ior propnyiaxis were mauc avanauic uuimg uic ycai anu 11 ib
hoped that these increased facilities will encourage parents to have their children
immunised. Apart from the immunisation sessions held at the schools in the division,
full or part-time sessions were held weekly at 14 centres. 4,456 children (0-15 years)
received a primary course of immunisation and 3,076 reinforcing injections during 1954,
and these figures compared very favourably with 3,263 and 1,928 respectively for the
vear 1953, which were on the low side because of the outbreak of Poliomyelitis.
Cerebral
palsy
investigatior
Dr. Dunham of the Department of Physical Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital,
extended his survey into the early detection of infantile cerebral palsy among selected
babies at special sessions at certain maternity and child welfare centres in the division.
The survey is continuing and it is hoped that considerable interest will be fostered and
benefit derived.
Mentally
backward
children
In co-operation with the local Mental Welfare Organiser clinics tor mentally backward
children under five years of age were held experimentally at one centre. Mothers
were given advice and special help with welfare problems. Tne scheme proved worth
while and sessions were arranged at an additional centre so that the travelling of parents
and children could be reduced to a minimum.
Mothercraft—
rehabilitation
of mothers
Two mothers, both with complicated family problems, were sent, together with
certain of their children, to Spofforth Hall Recuperative Centre. The break-up of the
home was prevented in each case, and it is hoped that the improvements in the homes
and in the general demeanour of the famihes already noted, will be maintained and
strengthened.
Distribution
of national
welfare foods
The distribution of national welfare foods was taken over from the Ministry of Food
in June, 1954, and a total of 104 sessions weekly were held at 28 centres throughout the
division.
138