London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Since the beginning of the National Health Service the general policy of the Council
has been to provide a uniform and properly co-ordinated service; although this still varies
to meet local demands, the aim to provide the best possible service in all parts of the
county has been continued.
Maternity and child welfare
The Council has made comprehensive provision for the care of mothers and young
children. Maternity and child welfare centres provide ante- and post-natal clinics, child
welfare clinics, mother-craft classes; the centres make available to mothers certain
nutrients and simple medicaments and the full range of national welfare foods. By far
the greater part of the maternity and child welfare work is carried out from the Council's
own centres but the Council has agreements with and makes very substantial financial
contributions (up to 100 per cent. of approved net expenditure) to 13 voluntary organisations
and the medical schools of four teaching hospitals for the provision by them of
certain maternity and child welfare services and with four voluntary organisations providing
day nursery services.
Particulars of sessions and attendances are given in the following table:
Table (i)—
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ante-natal, post-natal and combined clinics: | |||||
| Number at end of year | 109 | 109 | 108 | 110 | 105 |
| Sessions per month | 793 | 787 | 803 | 732 | 703 |
| Total attendances | 136,864 | 143,945 | 141,862 | 118,791 | 103,959 |
| Ante-natal: | |||||
| Number of women attending during the year | 29,387 | 32,440 | 32,809 | 31,874 | 27,272 |
| Post-natal: | |||||
| Number of women attending during the year | 3,369 | 2,859 | 2,335 | 3,822 | 3,283 |
| Child welfare clinics: | |||||
| Number at end of year | 179 | 178 | 174 | 173 | 176 |
| Sessions per month | 2,034 | 2,057 | 2,081 | 2,085 | 2,060 |
| Number of children born in same year who attended | 44,718 | 47,535 | 50,516 | 48,916 | 52,320 |
| Total attendances (all ages) | 742,095 | 768,953 | 766,837 | 713,845 | 814,608 |
| Attendances at special toddlers clinics (not included in above) | 37,533 | 38,203 | 37,790 | 40,196 | 43,965 |
There has been a gradual reorientation in the function and purpose of the child welfare
service in recent years, which is of great significance for the future. Increasingly it has
attempted to provide a comprehensive and purposeful diagnostic service for the early
detection of mental or physical handicaps.
Preventive mental health—The first steps in preventive mental health were taken when
psychiatrists in the child guidance clinics set up to deal with maladjusted school children
pointed out that some emotional disturbances might have been prevented or minimised
had the child been seen earlier. In 1954 the Council set up case conference groups in
maternity and child welfare centres, the groups consisting of medical officers and health
visitors with a child psychiatrist and a psychiatric social worker. The groups provide a
training for maternity and child welfare staff and at the same time give an indirect service
to mothers and young children.
48