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The number of new cases was almost exactly the sane
as in the two previous years.
No noteworthy change was made in the arrangements for
preventing Tuberculosis or other infectious diseases locally,
the position being generally satisfactory.
AMBULANCES.
The ambulances for infectious disease cases remain the
same, but the three ambulances for civil cases were staffed by
A.R.P. personnel after August 1939. and could if necessary be
augmented by the twelve A.R.P. ambulances.
HOSPITALS.
The infectious disease hospitals remained as in previous
years, and provided adequate accommodation. The general and
county hospitals were enlarged under the Emergency Hospital
scheme. The admission of. maternity cases was. restricted to
Purley and Redhill Hospitals, which were, however, able to take
all cases needing to be admitted.
BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK.
The arrangements for bacteriological work and disinfection
remain unaltered, the proposal for an independent laboratory
serving adjacent authorities failing to materialise.
HEALTH PROPAGANDA was proceeded with as hitherto.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE, consisting of representative
of the General Practitioners practicing in the District and the
Public Health Committee net on two occasions, and considered the
Council's scheme for maternity and Child welfare. The Committee
made recommendations as to the procedure which should be
followed when appointing new medical officers for the clinics or
centres and on the terms of the appointments. These were
adopted by the Council. A recommendation that Obstetric
Specialist Clinics should be instituted was to have been
considered further, as also the staffing of the Ante-Natal
Clinic, but with the approaching onset of hostilities these
matters had to be deferred and it was later decided to Call
further meetings of the Advisory Committee only as and when
required.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The numbers attending the Ante-Natal, Post- Natal and
Child Welfare Centres showed every sign that the steady increase
in attendances recorded in previous years would have been
maintained but for the war. When this commenced it appeared
very undesirable for numbers of mothers and children to
congregate without adequate means being provided for their
protection. Normal Child Welfare sessions were therefore
suspended until sufficiently large shelters had been constructed
in the vicinity of each Centre. The Health Visitors were,
however, still present at the normal times to issue free milk
etc. to the relatively small number of mothers who attended, and
to give advice in urgent cases. In two cases new premises were
utilised owing to the original buildings being used by the
military or A.R.P. services.
Normal sessions were resumed at three Centres in
November, at two in mid-December and at the other Centres early
in 1940. The Ante-Natal and Post- Natal Clinics were continued
in the normal manner and showed an increase of nearly 60% in
the total attendance on that in the- previous year.
Special sessions were devoted to the inspection and
welfare of toddlers from March to September, 1939, six sessions
being held at each of three Centres and five at another Centre.
A total of 247 toddlers were examined and 29 re-examinee.