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The total number of sessions held each week had dropped to 224 by the end of
the year with an average weekly attendance of 2,087 persons. Of these 52 were general
medical sessions (average attendance 10) and 11 were general dental sessions (average
attendance 7).
The occasional creche was open for nine sessions a week and was much used.
Medical staff committee meetings have continued to be held regularly and included
a discussion on intra-articular use of hydro-cortisone under the leadership of Dr. J. H.
Glyn.
Health education work continued to play a prominent part in the Centre's work
during the year; at the end of October an 'Any Questions' evening was held on
the subject of' smoke abatement' in preparation for the designation of the surrounding
area as a smokeless zone. A two-day education course for staff was arranged in
November.
Maternity
and child
welfare
There were 7,664 ante-natal and 220 post-natal attendances and 4,254 first attendances
of infants under one year of age (equal to 94 per cent. of children born during 1958)
at the Council's clinics.
Day nurseries
and childminders
During the year one of the Council's day nurseries (Clifton Lodge) was closed and
this, together with a reduction in the number accommodated at another nursery,
resulted in the total authorised accommodation at the end of 1958 being 379 compared
with 439 in the previous year.
Two private day nurseries provided accommodation for 93 children and nine
statutorily registered child-minders cared for 34 children. In addition there were at
the end of the year 62 daily child-minders approved under the arrangements for
voluntary registration.
Health
education
Health education continued in accordance with the planned programme and a
committee of officers in the various grades concerned with these activities met at
regular intervals to co-ordinate the work and to plan further developments. Educational
work in the welfare centres is continuing steadily as the following figures show:
Sessions Attendances
1953 288 5,421
1954 414 6,494
1955 564 5,775
1956 698 6,402
1957 624 6,629
1958 557 6,649
Recuperative
holidays
Holidays were provided for 868 patients comprising 72 children under school age,
349 schoolchildren, 11 expectant and nursing mothers and 436 other adults. These
figures include twelve cases in which the holidays were arranged to prevent physical or
mental breakdown.
Home help
service
This service continues to expand year by year and help was again given up to the
limit of available workers. The recruitment of home helps continued throughout the
year and the organisers are continually faced with the problem of selecting the applicants
in most urgent need of help and spreading the help as widely as possible. There is
constant need for more workers suitable and willing to attend tuberculous households.
During the year help was given to 4,213 cases.
Problem
families and
help for
children
The divisional co-ordinating committee concerned with the special needs of problem
families has considered 22 new cases and reviewed 57 cases. The specially trained home
helps are continuing to make a valuable contribution to the work of holding together
families in danger of breaking up. Two social case workers appointed in the previous
autumn for intensive work with selected problem families developed their work during
the year. In most cases an improvement in the homes of the families referred to them
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