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50
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The general scheme of maternity and child welfare has undergone
little alteration in recent years except in executive details
and the summary given in previous reports need not be repeated.
Towards the end of the year the increased attendances at the
Ravenor Park Centre necessitated an additional session, and for
this session the part-time services of Dr. Frances Barry were
engaged. In the report for last year mention was made of the
steps that were being taken to provide a new Health Centre for
the North Greenford Ward. It is anticipated that the construction
of this new Centre, which is urgently required, will soon be
commenced.
With the rapid development of the Perivale area it became
apparent that further provision was necessary for mothers and
children in this area, who live at some considerable distance
from the existing Centres, and at the request of the Maternity
and Child Welfare Committee a report was submitted with regard
to the matter, as follows:—
"Report on the proposal to establish a
Health Centre at Perivale.
I have to report that I have, as requested, considered the possibility
of establishing a Subsidiary Health Centre to serve the Perivale area
of the North Greenford and South Greenford Wards. This area has
at present a population of 6,000 and schemes of building which will
increase the population in about two years to 12,000 have been approved
or are under consideration. This area is from a mile and a quarter to
two and a half miles from the nearest Centre, Ravenor Park, and the
furthermost part is not readily accessible as it has no direct road leading
from it to Ravenor Park Centre along which there is a bus route. It is
unlikely that there will ever be a direct bus route from this latter part
towards Ravenor Park Centre as the tendency is for the traffic to go
towards Alperton outside the Borough. One large school (800 children)
has been built in the centre of this part which is the more difficult of
access and another (800 children) is being provided in the western part,
where most of the houses will now be erected. It would therefore
appear that the most convenient place to build a Centre would be almost
midway between the two schools and this would be midway between
the two parts of the Perivale area which will ultimately be built upon.
I suggest a site at the corner of the University College Athletic Ground
immediately south of Perivale Station on the Great Western line. This
site is to the north of the Western Avenue which is a very dangerous
road for children to have to cross. As the population in the Perivale
area will not be greater at any time than 12,000 I do not recommend
that a complete Health Centre be built. The new Health Centre proposed
in the North Greenford Ward will not be able to serve the Perivale
area because of the long distance to be travelled over a steep hill which
is not likely to be traversed by a bus route on account of the narrowness
of the canal bridge and the narrowness of the road.