London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Acton 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]
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17
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Food Sales.
During the year, the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres
supplied the following quantities of milk foods:
For Sale 29,205 lbs.
Free 216 lbs.
The Food Executive Officer has very kindly supplied the
following figures of milk and vitamin preparations, issued by his
department to expectant and nursing mothers and to children:
Orange Juice 68,127 bottles (54,661 last year).
Cod Liver Oil 12,975 bottles ( 7,197 „ „ ).
Vitamin Capsules 3,849packets( 2,117 „ „).
National Dried Milk 14,203 tins (11,374 „ „).
Home Help Scheme.
At the end of the year there were 3 full time Home Helps.
The following Table shows the number of cases booked and those actually attended:
| Number of Cases booked | 88 (67 last year). |
| Number of Cases attended | 63 (54 „ „). |
| Number of Cases cancelled | 25 (13 „ „). |
Domestic Help Scheme.
By the end of, the year there was a staff of 4 full time and 2
part time Domestic Helps. 88 cases were attended as against 58 for
the previous year.
Day Nurseries.
In December 1945, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Education issued a joint circular setting out their post war policy
with regard to the care of children under 5 years.
The view was accepted that the proper place for a child of
under 2 was at home with its mother, and that under normal peace
time conditions mothers of such young children should be discouraged
from going out to work, but it was also recognised that
this ideal could not be attained for some time in view of the continuing
need for employment of women in industries vital to