London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Coulsdon and Purley 1955

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]

This page requires JavaScript

Day Nurseries.
The two local Day Nurseries are situated as follows:—
Telephone:
"Hazelglen" Day Nursery, Sanderstead Road, Sander-
stead. (Matron: Miss I. M. Bettridge) SANderstead 5329
Old Coulsdon Day Nursery, Bradmore Green, Old
Coulsdon (Matron: Mrs. L. C. Bryan, S.R.N.) Downland 4071
They can only accept the children of residents on grounds of
health in the widest sense, including bad home conditions, or when
the mother is the sole wage earner. Applications for admission
should be made to the Divisional Medical Officer, 115 Brighton
Road, Purley.
It is a pity from the point of view of training girls for nursing
and for life generally that for several years neither of the local
Nurseries has been a Training Nursery; also that, where a number
of vacancies are a semi-permanent feature, as at Sanderstead, these
cannot be filled at an economic charge with children whose mental
health and whose parents' physical and mental wellbeing would
benefit.
School Health Service.
The basis of this service is the periodical medical and dental
inspection of all the children in attendance at the local schools
who, in this Division, now number over 12,000 compared with
7,490 in 1946. Several full and part time doctors and one full
time dentist are employed on the work in this District. Some of
the defects noted need to be kept under observation and others
are referred for treatment by private doctors, hospitals or specialist
clinics. Among the clinics organised by the Education Authority
are the dental, eye, speech, general medical, child guidance and
remedial exercise clinics.
Special attention is given to handicapped children, some of
whom require to be admitted to special schools, e.g. those for the
deaf, mentally or physically sub-normal.
As is noted in other parts of this Report, the condition of
the school premises and of the school meals service are kept under
supervision and special steps are taken to prevent the spread of
infectious diseases, including the immunisation of school children.
This well established service performs a very useful function
but does not often attract the attention of the majority of residents.
Welfare Services.
The members of the Health Services work in close cooperation
with the local representatives of the County Council's
Welfare, Children's and Education Departments and such voluntary
bodies as the Guild of Social Service, N.S.P.C.C. and Marriage
Guidance Council.
The Divisional Medical Officer has become responsible for
co-ordinating the activities of all concerned with "Problem
30