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REPORTS BY THE DIVISIONAL MEDICAL OFFICERS
(A statistical summary of work done in the divisions will be found at the end of this section.)
DIVISION 1, comprising the boroughs of Chelsea, Fulham, Hammersmith and
Kensington
Dr. Eva M. Cran reports:
During the year normal activities have been fully maintained, notwithstanding the
additional responsibilities and duties arising in connection with the transfer of functions
to the new London Boroughs on 1 April 1965. As part of the preparation for this transfer,
responsibility for a number of services was decentralised to divisions, e.g. B.C.G. vaccination,
inspection of nursing homes, registration of the blind and a variety of additional
duties under the Mental Health Act 1959.
These additional functions, together with the onerous task of dividing the work of the
division in anticipation of the transfer to the London Borough of Hammersmith and the
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have been loyally and conscientiously undertaken
by the staff and I am deeply grateful to them for their devoted service.
As regards the normal work of the division, it has again been a year of satisfactory
progress consistent with the record of development and expansion which has been maintained
since 1948.
Day nurseries—Attendances were consistently high throughout the year and in many
weeks reached 96 per cent. The extension to provide 37 additional places at St. Quintin day
nursery was completed by the end of the year and is expected to be fully staffed and occupied
early in 1965.
Occasional creches—At these also there have been near capacity attendances at all sessions.
An interesting experiment, authorised by the Health Committee, started in November
to allow children to attend creches free of charge while their mothers are attending hospital.
There has not, of course, been sufficient time as yet to assess the effect of this.
Chiropody—The demand for this service continues to increase and an additional clinic
was opened in April at Westbourne Grove welfare centre to provide two additional sessions
weekly. These proved so popular that a third session was added in August.
Maternity and child welfare—The divisional maternity bed bureau established in 1962
produced quite remarkable results. Of a net total of 1,513 cases referred to the bureau
during the year (another 50 were withdrawn), a hospital booking was arranged for 1,508
and in only five cases had the mother to be referred for admission through the Emergency
Bed Service. This probably represents the optimum achievement of the Bed Bureau,
bearing in mind that the ' failures ' were all social cases who attended a clinic for the first
time very late in pregnancy. For the third year running a bed was found for every case
referred on medical grounds.
Co-operation with general practitioners and general practitioner obstetricians was
further strengthened and improved. The weekly evening paediatric session at Lancaster
Road welfare centre was continued throughout the year and a high average attendance of
working mothers was maintained.
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