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7
greatest value. There is no scheme for assisting with local
authority staff any general practitioners holding clinics at their
own surgeries.
Premature Infants
Outfits are available on loan at any time and delivered by
the Ambulance Service (cots', blankets, hot-water bottles, Belcroy
feeders, etc.), The co-ordination of the institutional and domiciliary
obstetric service enables most expectant mothers who are
likely to give birth to grossly premature babies being admitted
for ante-natal care and hospital confinement. As a result it is
unusual for infants below 4 lbs. in weight to be born on the
district. There was no difficulty in obtaining the admission of
a premature baby to hospital when this was necessary.
Supply of Dried Foods, etc
Ministry of Food Welfare Foods are available at all centres,
but other supplies of dried milk and a limited number of simple
medicaments are issued by arrangements with local pharmacists.
No charge is made for medicaments or in the case of necessitous
mothers for proprietary brands of dried milk.
Dental Care
This continued to be arranged through the School Dental
Service under the direction of the Senior School Dental Officer
and his detailed report will be included in the printed copy.
20 per cent. of the available dental resources were given to the
Maternity and Child Welfare Service. The dental staff was
strengthened during the year by the employment of part-time
dental officers. A new surgery was also opened on an outlying
housing estate. The Corporation resolved to anticipate their
ability to recruit further staff, in excess of present surgery accommodation
bv asking authority to build a new twin dental
surgery to serve the eastern portion of the Borough.
Other Provision
The physiotherapists continued remedial treatment for
minor posture defects in the pre-school children. Owing to the
falling birth rate this work has considerably diminshed in amount,
which allowed more of their time to be given to ante-natal
relaxation classes. Arrangements for Recuperative Holidays for
mothers with voung babies continued. Authority for suitable
cases to be sent for re-education at homes' for neglectful or incompetent
mothers was sought in connection with families referred
through the Corporation's co-ordinating Committee for Children
Neglected or Ill-treated in their own Homes.