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on the one hand, and on the other a psychiatrist and psychiatric social worker fror
King's College Hospital. Cases presenting mental health problems are submitted b
the Council's workers, and discussed with the psychiatrist.
B.C.G.
vaccination of
schoolchildren
During the summer term, the Council s B.C.G. team visited 66 schools in the
division and tested 3,370 children aged 13+ years. They found 419 positive reactors
of whom 24 were referred to chest clinics for further investigation.
; School
„ treatment
The increase in work is evidenced by a growing demand tor orthodontic treatment
at King's College Hospital and additional nutrition and speech therapy sessions at the
Council's centres.
Changing
patterns in
child welfare
centres
Among the activities to which increasing attention has been paid are discussion
groups, cookery and sewing demonstrations, play corners and health educational
displays. Routine weighing of infants has been steadily reduced. The findings of an
investigation into the reasons why mothers attend or do not attend municipal centres
have provided some useful information which has been used to advantage in moulding
the pattern of many of the centres. The guiding principle has been the maintenance of
a friendly atmosphere in which mothers readily seek help and reassurance and learn
the basic requirements for the promotion of mental and physical health. Treatment
has been almost entirely eliminated and any tendency for a centre to simulate the hospital
ante-natal department has been counteracted. The response of mothers to the new outlook
is most encouraging.
My thanks are due to my medical and lay colleagues and to the members of the
divisional staff for their loyal co-operation and support.
Division 8, comprising the boroughs of Bermondsey, Lambeth and Southwark.
Dr. W. H. S. Wallace reports :
Welfare
centres
The new Rose McAndrew welfare centre, comprising the ground floor of Bcale
House, Lingham Street, Stockwell, was opened by the Mayor of Lambeth in March,
1955. The new clinic replaces the former Rose McAndrew Centre in Lansdowne Way
which was administered by a voluntary committee, and the Council's former centre
at Stockwell. Although the centre is administered by the Council, the name of Rose
McAndrew has been retained in recognition of the valuable service she rendered in
the maternity and child welfare movement. The new clinic is centrally situated near
Stockwell tube station and is conveniently reached in regard to both the areas served
The usual services—infant welfare, ante-natal, toddlers' clinics and sale of welfare foodsare
provided at the centre. Arrangements have been made, in conjunction with the
South London Hospital, for ante-natal services, the Registrar from the Hospital is responsible
for the work, and mothers booked with the Council's midwives, or the Hospital':
midwives, attend the clinic. Dr. Warren, of the Brixton Child Guidance Unit, is kindl)
giving assistance to the medical and nursing staff in dealing with psychological problem:
in the management of children. The premises, which are spacious and convenient,
have a good entrance hall, which is most valuable for health education, mothercrafi
and other clinic activities.
Day
nurseries
The day nurseries in the division have remained well-filled except in the Norwood
area, where there has been a considerable fall in the demand for vacancies. The offering
of vacancies in priority III, in which parents pay higher fees, was expected to result
in these vacancies being filled. This, however, has not been the case and few parents
having to pay a surcharge make use of the day nursery. In other parts of the division
the nurseries have been well-filled, and the daily average attendance in nurseries throughout
the division has been over 80 per cent. There has been a heavy demand for day
nursery accommodation in the Brixton area, where the children of the coloured
population constitute a serious problem.
Immunisation
Special efforts have been made to encourage mothers to have their children immunised,
as the almost entire absence of diphtheria has resulted in many parents failing to
recognise the continued need to maintain immunisation. As an experiment in this
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