London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Residential establishments for young children
Medical officers on the Council's staff make routine visits to residential establishments
under the direction of the Children's Committee. The care of children suffering from
physical handicap or mental retardation, whether due to innate defect or emotional
disturbance, is carefully reviewed with the visiting medical officer.
The only incidents during the year worthy of mention were two outbreaks of
enteritis at Hutton baby unit in March and July, affecting about 78 per cent. and 44 per
cent. of the children respectively (staff 17 per cent. and none), in which no pathogenic
organisms were found, and an outbreak of Sonne dysentery at St. Margaret's residential
nursery in December, affecting 38 per cent. of the children (staff 16 per cent.).
Every child whom it is proposed to board out with a view to adoption is given a
full medical examination by his general medical practitioner and the opinion of the
Medical Officer of Health is sought on the suitability of the child for adoption on
medical grounds.
Adoption and
boarding-out
The opinions on the children referred by the Children's Officer in 1957 and two previous years were as follows :
| 1. Considered unfit for adoption or boarding out | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 3 | ||||
| 2. Referred for adoption— | ||||||
| 158 | 147 | 178 | ||||
| 7 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| 14 | 15 | 7 | ||||
| (d) Still under consideration | 4 | 3 | 4 | |||
| (e) Withdrawn by Children's Officer | 2 | 1 | 8 | |||
| – | 185 | – | 173 | – | 205 | |
| 3. Referred for boarding out— | ||||||
| 375 | 324 | 310 | ||||
| – | — | 5 | ||||
| (c) Withdrawn by Children's Officer | 4 | 2 | 7 | |||
| – | 379 | – | 326 | – | 322 | |
| TOTAL | 566 | 503 | 530 | |||
Care of the unmarried mother and her child
One mother and baby home is maintained by the Welfare Committee together with Mother and
two units in larger establishments. Other homes are provided by voluntary organisa- baby homes
tions supported by grants in aid from the Council.
1956
1957
Number of voluntary homes receiving grant
Number of expectant and nursing mothers
admitted
Amount of grant
19
1,308
£10,755
18
1,141
£11,360
Financial assistance to the five large moral welfare associations of the major religious
denominations was continued.
Moral
welfare
associations
1956
1957
Grant paid to the associations
Number of expectant and nursing mothers
advised
£10,100
2,908
£9,625
2,684
53