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phere should be mentioned here. Careful observation was made by the Council's
Scientific Adviser as part of a long-term investigation of the major pollutants and a
special watch was kept upon the amount of sulphur compounds and smoke present.
To this was added the estimation of some minor pollutants and also the examination
of atmospheric dust for radio active constituents in order to obtain basic data for future
comparison.
Building
programme
The need for economy continued to limit building expenditure. A list of works
completed appears at pages 65 and 66 and includes the Province of Natal Welfare Centre
providing a wide range of maternity and child welfare and school health services which
was opened in May 1955. The administration of this centre is the responsibility of a
house committee of representatives of the Institute of Child Health, of the Council's
Health Committee, of two of its Divisional Health Committees and of the Borough
Councils of Holborn and St. Pancras, as well as of a voluntary association. It is an essay
in co-operation.
Co-operation
with other
parts of the
service
rrogress maae in co-operation witn tne general meaicai service or tne London
Executive Council is described at page 102. There are many references in the report to
the very wide range of services which depend upon the close co-operation existing
between the Hospital and Specialist services and the local health authority's services
for their full effectiveness. The possibility of further developments in this field is always
in mind, an example is the conference (referred to on page 96) called to consider closer
contact between mental welfare officers and psychiatric social workers on the one side
and the physician superintendents of mental hospitals on the other.
Care of
mothers and
young
children
The proportion of children who attended at welfare centres during the first year of
life was again 86 per cent.
Accommodation in day nurseries was slightly reduced (5,580 places in 99 day
nurseries at the end of 1955 as against 5,850 at the end of 1954), whilst 1,500 were being
cared for by child-minders under supervised arrangements.
A scheme of restricted expansion of occasional creches began to operate.
Attendance at ante-natal clinics dropped slightly and represented 43 per cent, of all
women needing ante-natal care as against 45 per cent, in 1954. Attendances at educational
activities at welfare centres were maintained.
Effect has been given to the main recommendations of the study group, reported
in 1954, on mental health education in the maternity and child welfare service. Intensive
training of a limited number of medical officers and health visitors began in six of the
nine divisions under the leadership of psychiatrists attached to local child guidance
units, whilst a departmental advisory committee has been set up to advise on general
developments in this field.
A comprehensive inquiry was begun to ascertain the extent of the task presented
by potential and hard-core problem families and the methods that should be used and
the staff time required in preventive measures and assistance.
The demand for recuperative holidays has again evidenced the diminishing trend
apparent, except for a slight increase in 1954, since 1950. 1955 saw a reduction in
recommendations for all classes consistent with the earlier figures.
Domiciliary
midwifery
service
The number of confinements attended declined as compared to the number for 1954
(9,898 as against 10,546). In addition to gas and air analgesia, 'trilene' was used in
3 per cent. of cases during a period of six months and as a result apparatus will be issued
to all midwives.
Home
nursing
The home nursing service has continued to be provided on an agency basis by
voluntary district nursing associations, reduced in number in November, 1955, from
27 to 26, through the Central Council for District Nursing. The total number of visits
paid and of treatments given during the year (1,953,182 ; 64,256) both show an increase
over the figures for the previous year.
Domestic
help service
3,148 home helps (giving service equivalent to 2,029 whole-timers) were employed
at the end of the year and no less than 80 per cent. of the persons for whom they
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