View report page

Lecture room accommodation was made available at two health centres for the
training of civil defence ambulance section volunteers.
I acknowledge most sincerely the good work of everyone associated with the health
service in the division.
Division 7, comprising the boroughs of Camberwell and Lewisham.
Dr. H. D. Chalke reports:
Civil defencc
Space only permits of mention of some of the more important activities.
The popularity of the child welfare clinic was undiminished. While the number of
children attending however remained high, far too many were brought once or twice
only. Enquiry of all mothers attending the centres during one week (1,360)* confirmed
the continuing need for making advice, reassurance and guidance available there : these
were the main reasons why children (especially first children) were brought. Unfortunately
there was a much less appreciation of the desirability for continued attendance
when the child appeared to be doing well. Many mothers still disbelieved in supervision
of this sort, others said they could not attend because they were at work during the day,
though an early evening clinic to cater for these mothers was poorly patronised. It has not
yet been possible to improve many of the unsuitable clinic premises in Church Halls.
Great importance is attached to the use of voluntary workers at the centres and fortunately
they continued to help, although unavoidable circumstances necessitated the resignation
of one or two. Emphasis has been laid on the establishment of an easy friendly atmosphere
at the clinics.
' Maternity and
child welfare
centres
Evening talKs and film shows were increased tnougn attendances were variable.
Special effort was directed towards the instruction of schoolchildren and young persons.
The health visitors' duties are widening rapidly, and to accomplish the new tasks
with the present staff, a careful selection of work is necessary with elimination of the
unessential.
. Health
education
S Health visitors
Great strides have been made in tightening the liaison with hospitals and more and
more requests are being received for help. Home supervision of asthma and diabetic
patients was undertaken for the special departments concerned and also for premature
baby units. The health visitors attended hospital social resettlement units and geriatric
departments. There was improved collaboration in respect of educational and relaxation
sessions for ante-natal women and the hospital almoner and health visitor worked more
closely together than ever.
1 Hospitals
The new duties of health visitors as members of the domiciliary team are closely
bound up with the work of the general practitioner. Every effort is being made to make
the health visitor service more available and acceptable to the family doctor. Regular
visits by health visitors to doctors' surgeries have been well worth while. The results,
though slow in appearing, are encouraging.-
General
practitioners
There was some falling off of attendances in the higher priority groups at da)
nurseries but the position in the division now seems to have stabilised itself.
Day nurseries
The work of preventing mental ill health has been expanding slowly but surely.
The divisional family health conferences at which problem families were discussed by
representatives of voluntary and statutory organisations continued to be of value. A
home making course for inexperienced mothers is about to commence. The day
nurseries are playing a necessary part regarding the child with unsatisfactory home
conditions or adverse family background.
Prevention of
mental ill
health
Routine tuberculin testing of pre-schoolchildren has been extended to school entrants.
The results so far suggest that the conversion rate is falling rapidly. Careful search among
relatives and neighbours can reveal the infecting source of the positive reactor in a large
percentage of cases.
Tuberculosis
Despite the increase in the number of home helps, the demands were heavy, particularly
during the winter months—a time when the sickness rate among the home helps was
* Results about to be vublished.
Home helps
139