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
Barking 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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PLAY THERAPY
Over the past year a total of 86 children have been helped in all four play
therapy groups.
Thames View Clinic- 16 children have attended including 7 with a speech defect,
2 mentally backward and 1 autistic child. There were also 2 very shy children.
Julia Engwell Clinic- 32 children attended including 1 child whose parents were
deaf and dumb, b mentally backward and 2 from difficult homes. We had also 1
very nervous child and 10 with speech defects.
Northbury - 21 children attended including 3 mentally backward and b emotionally
disturbed. There were also 5 children with a speech defect.
Oxlow Lane Clinic - 17 children have been helped, including b from very poor
homes, 1 with muscular dystrophy. There were 5 children who would not mix and
4 with a speech defect.
DAY NURSERY SERVICE
The average daily attendances and numbers on registers are shown below for each month of 1968:-
| Month | Goresbrook | Annie Prendergast | Eastbury | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Daily Attendance | No. on Register | Average Daily Attendance | No. on Register | Average Daily Attendance | No. on Register | |
| January | 27.9 | 37 | 27.0 | 35 | 32.5 | 42 |
| February | 30.8 | 39 | 31.4 | 36 | 35.0 | 42 |
| March | 35.1 | 40 | 33.7 | 39 | 34.3 | 42 |
| April | 33.7 | 42 | 32.'+ | 39 | 30.0 | 37 |
| May | 33.3 | 39 | 32.8 | 40 | 35.0 | 41 |
| June | 31.4 | 40 | 31.2 | 41 | 32.2 | 42 |
| July | 32.1 | 42 | 30.0 | 39 | 35.9 | 42 |
| August | 27.3 | 43 | 28.2 | 41 | 27.8 | 41 |
| September | 28.5 | 42 | 39.1 | 46 | 25.6 | 39 |
| October | 31.6 | 38 | 41.0 | 45 | 35.2 | 43 |
| November | 33.6 | 46 | 36.9 | 44 | 36.9 | 45 |
| December | 32.6 | 44 | 33.0 | 45 | 33.5 | 43 |
All nurseries showed improved attendances during the year which reflects
a slight easing of staffing difficulties consequent upon a reduction of nursery
hours effected in 1967.
Annie Prendergast Day Nursery
Matron reports as follows:-
1968 was another busy and interesting year, and continued in the pattern
of the previous year.
Our two students were successful in the N.N.E.B. examinations, one has
gone to join the Metropolitan Police, another went to work as a private nanny.
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