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Council and the Central Council for Health Education a two-day course on 'Visual
Aids and their Construction, Public Speaking and Group Leadership' was held at the
Mary Hughes welfare centre, Underwood Road, E.l, on October 8th and 9th. Twenty
health visitors attended this course which was much appreciated.
Finally it was gratifying to note the steady improvement in co-operation between
the general practitioners and the health visitors.
Division 6, comprising the boroughs of Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich.
Dr. F. R. Waldron reports :
New centres
Ante-natal, infant welfare and toddlers' sessions were begun at All Saints' Church
Hall, Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, to afford facilities for mothers and children living on
the new Pond Estate. This centre, as well as that already operating at Merton Place,
Blackheath, is in Division 7 and was used by arrangement for residents in Division 6 at
separate sessions.
Prophylaxis
Special prophylaxis sessions were conducted at eight centres, but in addition the
service was available at some infant welfare clinics, thus providing easy access for
mothers in all areas; an average of 15 sessions were held each week. Most schools in the
division had a 'booster' session each term.
During the year, 3,992 children under 15 completed courses of immunisation
against diphtheria and 3,549 received 'booster' doses, compared with 3,252 and 1,525
in 1955. Smallpox vaccination was carried out successfully in 2,495 cases and there were
439 re-vaccinations. The corresponding figures for 1955 were 2,308 and 561. 3,323
children were inoculated against whooping cough and 289 received reinforcing
injections.
The figures for inoculations generally were higher than in 1955, because of the
outbreak of poliomyelitis in that year during which some sessions were suspended.
A proportion of immunisations and vaccinations was carried out by general
practitioners.
Maternity
and child
welfare
Ante-natal clinics were held at 20 centres with an average ot 25 sessions a week.
Relaxation, mothercraft and parentcraft classes were held at varying intervals at
9 centres.
Chest X-ray examinations were arranged during the year for about 1,200 expectant
mothers.
The popularity and success of fathercraft sessions was due largely to the keenness of
the health visitors who gave up their time in the evenings to organise and conduct them.
On average, 61 separate or combined infant welfare and toddlers' sessions were
held weekly. Attendances totalled 85,651; the corresponding figure for 1955 was
89,705.
The total number of children born during 1956 to mothers resident in the area was
4,278, compared with 4,299 during 1955.
B.C.G.
vaccination
The Council's central B.C.G. unit operating south of the Thames successfully
concluded their second visit to Division 6 for the B.C.G. vaccination of 13-year-old
school children at the end of February.
There were 4,327 children in the age group (3,453 in 1955) and the parents of
approximately 77.4 per cent. (84 per cent. in 1955) consented to their children taking
part in the scheme.
Childminders
The number of statutorily and voluntarily registered child-minders at 31st December,
1956, was 68, compared with 77 at 31st December, 1955. Approximately 180 children
were minded each week-day.
Welfare
foods
National welfare foods were distributed at 108 sessions every week at 30 establishments
throughout the division. The Women's Voluntary Services conducted 26
sessions weekly at their own centres; their assistance was greatly appreciated.
Of the remaining 82 sessions, 54 took place in association with infant welfare
sessions and 28 at other times each week according to local need.
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