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These tables exclude talks of less than ten minutes duration to groups or talks of whatever
duration to individuals.
In addition, nearly 4,000 talks were given to schoolgirls on personal hygiene and
mothercraft; series of lectures were given in connection with the National Nursery Examination
Board certificate and the Home Office Senior Child Care Reserve course, and talks to
hospital student nurses and medical students.
Films and filmstrips—There is a constant demand for films and filmstrips in the presentation
of talks and discussions. A total of 231 film shows was arranged. The department's
own library, which was increased during the year by the purchase of three films, provided
55 of the 364 films shown. There were also 406 filmstrip shows using 977 filmstrips. The
use of both types of visual aid showed marked increases on previous years.
Special campaigns and exhibitions—To mark the first decade of the National Health
Service a Nursing and Health exhibition was held at County Hall for two weeks in March.
Organised by the Council and the metropolitan regional hospital boards, in association
with the London Executive Council and the metropolitan borough councils, it not only
showed comprehensively what is now done for the health of the Londoner but the opportunities
open to young people for interesting and worthwhile careers in this field. Although
attendances were generally disappointing a large proportion of those who did attend were
senior school children.
The annual diphtheria immunisation campaign, which was planned for October had to
be postponed until December to avoid clashing with the autumn general election campaign.
It followed customary lines; an intensification of divisional health education supplemented
by extensive advertising through posters, leaflets, in local newspapers and in cinemas.
The subject of prophylaxis was featured in a display window at County Hall. This was to
have supported the campaign, but had to take place in October as planned, because it
could not be postponed.
The annual 'Safety in the Home' campaign throughout the county was given additional
publicity through a successful three week exhibition in October, arranged by the Council
and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in the ticket hall at Charing Cross
underground station. The exhibition covered home accident prevention, prevention of
fire in dwellings and means of escape; it was most attractively mounted and was visited by
some 22,000 people. An interesting feature was the large number of visitors who came on
weekday evenings and on Saturdays. Home safety week in the divisions dealt principally
with the prevention of falls and a follow up of the 1955 'Guard that fire' campaign. The
amount of publicity material used, 30,000 posters, 177,000 leaflets and 111,000 bookmarks,
is some indication of the intensive work undertaken locally.
Special publications—A pamphlet, 'The care of your health a development of the
guide to health mentioned in my report for 1957 (which is still being issued to leavers from
the Council's schools), was prepared for use in connection with instruction on health and
hygiene by teachers in secondary schools.
The department collaborated with the College of Physical Education in the preparation
of a pamphlet on foot health, which is available to the parents of every child receiving foot
remedial exercises and for general use.
Staff visual aids competition—For the first time since the inception of the competition,
entries were restricted to a set subject—care of expectant mothers with emphasis on diet.
This no doubt accounted for the smaller number of entries, 37 in all. In the poster section
two entries from health visitors in division 5 were placed equal first; similarly in the teaching
aid section entries by health visitors from divisions 4 and 6 were placed equal first.
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