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division special letters urging them to have their children immunised are being sent
to all parents when their children reach the age of four months. A further letter is sent
six months later if no record of the child having been immunised has been received. The
effect of these letters began to show in an increase in the number of children immunised
but unfortunately they had to be discontinued on account of the epidemic of poliomyelitis
that occurred during the summer. It was, unfortunately, not possible to
commence immunisation again until November and consequently the total number of
immunisations during the year has shown a substantial fall.
School health
services
The health or the school children has continued to show an improvement and there
has been a considerable decrease in the number of children found to require treatment
at medical and hygiene inspections. The attendance at minor ailment clinics has continued
to diminish and it has been possible to reduce the hours of opening of these
clinics. The minor ailment clinic at Dockhead School was closed and amalgamated
with the clinic at Farncombe Street. The number of cases of discharging ears has also
greatly decreased and the cases that do occur are cleared up very rapidly with modern
treatment. There has also been a fall in the number of children attending rheumatism
and nutrition clinics and the number of sessions has been reduced. The improvement
in the health of the school children is also reflected in the diminution in the number of
admissions to schools for physically handicapped children.
There has been an increase in the number of children attending the audiology clinic.
This has been due not to an increase in the amount of deafness but to the fact that the
cases are being brought to light, as a result of the routine hearing tests being carried out
on all schoolchildren. Children under school age are also attending the clinics, as the
importance of early diagnosis and treatment is now fully recognised. An auditory
training session has been established at St. George's centre for the assessment and
training of deaf children.
There has been an increase in the number of children recommended for admission
to schools for the educationally subnormal. This is not due to an increase in the number
of mentally backward children but to the fact that the value of these schools is being
more fully recognised and more borderline cases are being admitted to them.
Norwood
treatment
centre
The school treatment centre in Norwood Road had to be vacated early in the year,
as the Council's lease expired. Arrangements were made to transfer the dental, minor
ailment and refraction sessions to the maternity and child welfare centre at Hannen Road.
Certain alterations and improvements are being made to the building. The installation
of the new dental chair and equipment was not completed during the year.
The centre has proved particularly valuable in combining the school and maternity
and child welfare services and it has therefore been chosen as an experimental area for
the proposals of the working party on treatment organisers and health visitors. The
scheme was started towards the end of the vear and commenced without anv difficulty.
Home help
and district
nurses
Other services in the division have continued satisfactorily. The home help service
continues to increase, largely on account of the needs of the aged. The District Nursing
Association are taking on more staff to meet the needs of the area. The home help and
district nursing services, which provide for patients, particularly the aged, in their own
homes, are most valuable at the present time, when the large number of old people in
the community is constituting an increasing problem. The nursing of the aged sick in
their own homes is of benefit to the old people themselves as well as in the interest of
national economy.
Conclusion
I would like to thank the staff and voluntary organisations in the division for their
loyal help and co-operation in working together to give an efficient service to the public.
Division 9, comprising the boroughs of Battersea and Wandsworth.
Dr. J. T. R. Lewis reports:
For the fourth year it gives me very great pleasure to report on the work in health
division 9. The year was again a busy one and many matters which will affect the health
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