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Welfare Committee establishments
The Medical Officer of Health is responsible for the medical arrangements in all types of
establishments under the control of the Welfare Committee. These include large and
small homes for the aged and infirm, mother and baby homes, hostels for mothers at
work, reception centres for persons without a settled way of life and homes for the
blind.
At the end of the year 167 mothers and 343 children (of whom approximately
60 per cent. were under five years of age and 15 per cent. under one year of age) were
accommodated in the five homeless families' units. Regular visits were made by medical
officers on the central staff to supervise medical arrangements and hygiene and in particular
to advise on the control of infection which, among communities of this type,
demands constant vigilance. Weekly visits were made by health visitors to advise mothers
on the care of their children and to give talks on mothercraft. Mothers were also
encouraged to attend sessions at neighbouring maternity and child welfare centres and a
weekly child welfare session was held at one large unit. Nursery classes for children
aged between three and five years were conducted under the direction of the
Education Officer at two units.
Homeless
families'
units
Medical supervision of two hostels for mothers at work and one mother and baby
home was given by medical officers on the central staff. In one of the hostels the children
were cared for by the staff while their mothers were at work and a medical officer on
the divisional staff made routine visits to the children as if they were in a day nursery.
In the other hostel children were taken by their mothers to day nurseries in the area.
Mother and
baby home
and hostels
for mothers
at work
Care of the chronic sick
A considerable number of chronic sick persons remained in the Council's homes because
of the shortage of hospital beds. Consultations were held with the Ministry of Health
on the problem, but although arrangements were made for a number of chronic sick
to be exchanged for infirm persons in hospital who could not be discharged to their
own homes, the number of chronic sick accommodated in the homes at the end of the
year was 559 (149 men and 410 women), an increase of 53 compared with the previous
year. These patients all complied with the definition of chronic sick laid down by the
Minister of Health. In some homes sick bays were provided for the care of the aged
suffering from temporary illnesses for whom hospital beds were not available.
Invalid Meals (formerly Invalid Kitchens) of London provided (year ended 30th
Spetember, 1954) 166,165 meals for invalids and sick people compared with 128,211
in the previous year ; 135,042 of the meals were delivered to houses and 31,123 were
served in the dining centres belonging to the organisation. The Council made a grantin-aid
of £8,000 during the year.
Invalid Meals
of London
Welfare of handicapped persons
Medical advice as to eligibility for registration under the Council's scheme for the
welfare of handicapped persons other than the blind and partially-sighted was given in
five cases during the year.
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