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Child help
In addition to a resident child help who was provided for a few days at the beginning
of the year to look after two children whose mother had died and whose father was
under treatment in hospital, another child help was employed to look after eight children
between one and thirteen years while the mother was in hospital for two periods
amounting to twenty-one weeks in all, the father being employed entirely on night
work.
Night
attendance—
chronic sick
Few requests tor this service were received during tne year.
Prevention
of break-up
of families
Some expansion or the domestic help service was approved by the Health Committee
to permit of the employment of selected home helps to teach housecraft to
mothers in their own homes when the health visitor considered there was imminent
or potential risk of a family break-up. Two home helps from each of the four areas
in the division received a short course of training and each of them has since carried
out useful work among some of the families in the division.
Home
nursing
As in previous years the number ot home nursing visits increased and the district
nurses continued to maintain an excellent standard. Their work is of exceptional value
because it eases the strain on hospitals and similar institutions and enables old people to
remain in the comfort and security of their own homes.
Loan
equipment
Requests trom general practitioners and the district nursing associations tor the loan
of home nursing equipment continued to increase. The provision of this equipment
undoubtedly helps the work of the district nurses and relatives nursing patients in their
own homes.
Chiropody
There has been no diminution in attendances at the root clinics and the waiting lists
are still heavy with a six to eight-week period between appointments. With the cooperation
of the London Ambulance service, it has been possible to convey some
homebound patients to the clinics for treatment.
Office hours
Towards the end ot the year was introduced a change in the office hours of the
administrative and clerical staff, giving them more free Saturdays in return for longer
hours of duty. The new hours have proved satisfactory in operation and the service to
the public has not been affected.
Staff changes
During the year Dr. R. H. Simpson, deputy divisional medical officer, and Miss
M. B. Edwards, divisional treatment organiser, retired after many years of loyal and
distinguished service in the School Health Service. We were pleased to welcome
Dr. E. M. Cran as deputy divisional medical officer on transfer from a similar position
in Division 7 and Miss K. Blagdon on promotion to the position of divisional treatment
organiser.
I should like to express on behalf of Dr. Russell and myself sincere thanks to the
Chairman and members of the Divisional Health Committee for their constant support
and interest and to our colleagues on the divisional staff for their unfailing and willing
help, and also to acknowledge with gratitude the co-operation of the borough medical
officers of health, of the staff of all departments of the Council and of the members and
staff of the many voluntary committees and associations in the division.
Division 2, comprising the boroughs of Hampstead, Paddington, St. Marylebone,
St. Pancras and Westminster.
Dr. H. L. Oldershaw reports:
Day
nurseries and
child-
minders
During the year, four Council day nurseries with a total of 186 places were closed,
all but a few of the children involved being transferred to other nurseries, without
hardship. Occupation of the remaining 19 Council nurseries remained at the same level85
per cent.—as at the end of 1955.
The number of private day nurseries registered under the Nurseries and ChildMinders
Regulation Act, 1948, dropped during the year, from 21 to 19, representing
a reduction of 51 places, and the number of statutorily registered child-minders under
the Act decreased from 15 to 12, with a consequent reduction of 15 children minded.
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