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To meet the needs of the expanding home help service the division was separated into
four areas instead of three and a fourth home help office was opened at Riggindale welfare
centre, Streatham in November.
The opening of the purpose.designed William Harvey centre in Roehampton in July,
1959 made it possible to close in March the Eastwood welfare centre, which occupied a
clubroom.
A plaque was unveiled at Putney Health Centre to commemorate the services rendered
by Miss Eileen Lecky, M.B.E., and the Voluntary Committee of the Putney Children's
Health Centre from 1916 to 1958.
Prophylaxis—Extensive publicity was given to the Council's campaign designed to
publicise the extension of the age limit for inoculation against poliomyelitis to 40 years.
Sessions were arranged at industrial and commercial premises, at Clapham Junction
railway station, and a departmental store. At the latter 598 injections were given.
From September inoculations against poliomyelitis were added to other forms of
prophylaxis available at all infant welfare sessions. In the evening and Saturday morning
sessions arrangements were also made for all types of prophylaxis to be available where,
previously, only poliomyelitis inoculation had been offered.
Mothercraft and relaxation classes—Additional classes combining mothercraft instruction
and relaxation were started and were functioning at four centres.
Creche—An occasional creche for one session a week was opened at Putney health
centre in December.
Visiting of old people—An experimental scheme for clinic nurses to be employed exclusively
for visiting the elderly was expanded. Health visitors continue to make initial visits
and deal with any exceptional problems. The number of visits to old people carried out by
health visitors and clinic nurses during the year was 4,306.
Mental health services—A weekly clinic was commenced at the William Harvey centre
in June for out.patient treatment of the mentally ill.
The new approach to mental health as made in the Mental Health Act, 1959, taken
together with the divisionalisation of existing mental health services, provided a stimulus
to which the staff responded fully. The mental welfare officers were integrated in the health
team as a whole; useful preliminary work was undertaken towards developments which
will come into being in 1961.
Staff— Dr. D. M. O. Lowry, deputy divisional medical officer, who joined the division
in August 1957, left in December to take up a public health appointment in Bermuda.
He rendered excellent service, notably in connection with housing.
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