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to date due to increases in the number of maternity and chronic
sick cases.
A recent development has been the training and employment
of specially selected "teaching Home Helps" for use in suitable
cases, who are mainly "Problem Families".
Family Planning.
Since 1945 a Family Planning Clinic has been provided for
this District and it is now held at Westway, Caterham-on-the-Hill.
Only married women whose health would be adversely affected if
advice were withheld can be seen and applications for appointments
should be made to the Divisional Medical Officer at 115
Brighton Road, Purley.
During 1957 only 119 persons including 50 new cases were
seen from the whole of the Division, the total attendance being
225.
Health Visitation.
The equivalent of about 8 whole time Health Visitors are
employed in this District, and they visit in their homes the vast
majority of ante-natal and nursing mothers and their children until
these are of school age. They also are the School Health Visitors
and attend most of the Clinics held in respect of their areas. They
thus become the friends and advisors of the family from the
earliest days until the end of school life. Of late their services
have been extended to include supervision of the welfare of the
aged. All have been trained as state registered Nurses and Midwives,
and have additional qualifications for their special work.
Their advice mainly relates to health matters but inevitably the
field widens to include most social problems and they give valuable
assistance by acting as liaison officers between residents and the
variety of health and welfare organisations, both voluntary and
statutory.
Most of them are based on 115 Brighton Road and can be
contacted there direct or through the Divisional Health Visitor, be
tween 9.0 a.m. and 10 a.m. daily.
During 1957 the Health Visitors in this Division paid approximately
24,000 home visits.
Infant Welfare Centres.
Nine Infant Welfare Centres are held regularly throughout
the District and here children under 5 years of age can be weighed
and seen regularly by a doctor. The main object is not to treat
children who are unwell, this being the responsibility of the private
doctors, but to observe and advise on mental and physical progress.
The mothers are taught normal child care and given personal
advice on their many and varied problems, in a way which would
otherwise not be available.
The following Infant Welfare Centres are held regularly from
2-4 p.m.:-
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