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As mentioned in my last report, trials commenced of a combined antigen incorporating
killed polio vaccine together with diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis antigen; the trials
continued throughout the year.
Facilities have been provided, at the request of a committee of the Medical Research
Council which was studying measles vaccine, for securing electro.encephalograms of young
children who had not had measles. The request followed the production of evidence by
workers in the U.S.A. that 45 per cent. of children had developed changes in their electroencephalograms
after uncomplicated measles. The tests were carried out by Dr. G.
Pampiglione of the Hospital for Sick Children among day nursery children, with parental
consent.
Home help service—As a preliminary to a home help recruitment campaign for the
county, a pilot campaign took place in the division in the early summer. A Press conference
was held, attended by the Chairman of the divisional health committee, senior divisional
staff and three recipients of the service with their families, who were able to testify at first
hand to the value of the service. Leaflets and posters were distributed with the willing cooperation
of the Education service and borough councils and press advertisements
appeared weekly for three months.
As a result of the three month campaign 46 home helps were recruited; ten of these had
left by the end of the third month. In the same period 23 home helps were recruited by other
means, mainly by personal recommendations and 19 left. Further home helps were recruited
in the following months as a result of the earlier publicity. In the light of the experience
gained it was decided to resume press advertising for a further three months from the
beginning of November. At the end of the year indications were that recruitment was just
keeping pace with wastage.
The very cold weather in January resulted in home helps encountering many difficulties
in their work, including the fetching of water and carrying bags of coal. A number of
tributes to the work of the staff under these trying conditions were received.
Mental health—A psychiatric social club was opened in May at the community centre
on the Hilldrop Estate, Islington. The club, the function of which is therapeutic, recruits
its membership from referrals by general practitioners and from ex.hospital patients;
near relatives are also welcome. A senior hospital medical officer of the Friern hospital
attends, as well as members of the divisional mental health team, including the psychiatric
social worker. A record player and some records have been provided, together with a
selection of indoor games and some crockery. The club is responsible for arrangements for
refreshments.
The occupational therapy service, to which I referred last year, has proved very welcome
to the patients. At the end of the year the occupational therapist was devoting four sessions
weekly to visiting mentally ill people at home, double the number of a year before and
authority had been received for her position to be made full.time.
A monthly clinic session for mentally subnormal children has been held throughout
the year at the East Islington Welfare Centre for young children suspected of being mentally
retarded.
School health service—The experimental scheme of selective medical inspections of
entrants to junior schools has been in operation in schools in this division. Initial
difficulties arose over the use of the standard questionnaire, particularly where the parents
were not of British origin; it was therefore decided to dispense with the questionnaire where
there was a known language problem and weigh the selection in favour of seeing rather
than not seeing the child. Most of the medical officers after a year's experience considered
the scheme to be of value and to provide more satisfying work.
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