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9
Coombe Cliff Convalescent Home.— In November the Council
opened a Convalescent Home for infants and children up to the
age of 14 years in Coombe Cliff. The premises and grounds were
admirably suited for this purpose, whilst the furnishings have been
carried out on bright and cheerful home nursery lines. The results
obtained in the rapid improvement of the little patients admitted
have fully justified the pioneer step taken.
Additional duties have been placed on the health visitors as
they now carry out home visits to foster-mothers and fosterchildren
under the Children Act, 1908, Part I., and to blind
persons under the Blind Persons Act, 1920. An unprecedently
high rate of absenteeism due to sickness among the health visiting
staff created a difficult year, and caused a diminution in the number
of home visits. Two additional health visitors were appointed
during the year. This enabled a re-arrangement of districts to be
made, and each health visitor is now responsible for all home
visits in connection with school medical work; first visits to tuberculosis
cases, maternity and child welfare, blind persons and fosterchildren
in her district. The amalgamation of duties ensures
fewer calls at houses, a better concentration of visitation, and a
variety of interest.
The Observation Nursery had a busy year with a higher
proportion of serious cases than in former years. Though only
a small institution, it is a useful unit in the Maternity and Child
Welfare Scheme. Whether the work done could not be as efficiently
and more economically carried on if it was an integral part
of a larger institution and not a separate entity, is open to argument.
If the Council decide to transfer the work at a later date
to appropriate pavilions at the Mayday Road Hospital, the
accommodation vacated at Lodge Road would afford much needed
space for the Maternity and School Clinics held on the ground
floor, and for which the present facilities are inadequate.
The year was notable in so far as the Infantile Mortality
reached the lowest figure yet recorded for Croydon. The rate of
48 deaths per 1,000 births is a low one when the size of the town,
and its increasing industrialisation is remembered. It is one of
the lowest of those recorded for the 107 large towns.
Mental Deficiency.— The greatest need during the year in this
branch of work has been that of suitable accommodation.
Negotiations were entered into with the Surrey County Council
for Croydon to participate in any provisions they contemplated.
The County Council are engaged in altering two institutions previously
used as Workhouses and they have bought a large estate