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PERSONAL HEALTH
739 attendances. Orthopaedic: 48 new cases; 90 attendances. Speech: 49
new cases; 614 attendances. In addition, 51 special audiometric tests were
carried out and 30 cases were found to have a hearing loss.
Clinic Premises
Of the twenty premises in the borough used for clinics, fourteen are purpose
built, four are adapted premises and two are rented premises. The Ten -Year
plan, details of which are given elsewhere in this report, contains proposals
for the replacement of certain of these clinics by purpose-built premises.
Welfare Foods and
Vitamin Supplements
The distribution of dried milk, cod liver oil, orange juice and vitamin tablets
on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Security, as part of the
Welfare Foods Service, continued at the Council's clinics and at a W.R.V.S.
Centre. During the year cod liver oil and orange juice were replaced by vitamin
drops for children and a new vitamin tablet for expectant mothers. The
following issues (total value £5,860) were made: National dried milk,
4,215 tins; Cod liver oil, 1,103 bottles; Vitamin tablets, 2,198 packets;
Orange juice, 69,211 bottles; Vitamin drops, 4,930 bottles. In addition,
various brands of proprietary dried milk, cereals and vitamin preparations,
recommended by medical officers and health visitors in particular cases, were
available at clinics, and the total sales amounted to £15,530.
Dental Care
The total number of expectant and nursing mothers and children under five
years of age examined was similar to last year's figure, although there was an
increase in the number of children under five years of age who attended for
treatment and a decrease in the number of expectant and nursing mothers.
Care of the
Unsupported Mother
and Her Child
Although the majority of unsupported mothers are unmarried, occasionally
a married woman may for some reason or other find herself without support.
The services of a social worker are shared with a neighbouring borough.
As there are no local authority mother and baby homes in the borough, use
is made of those of other authorities and of voluntary society homes, one
of which caters especially for the very young expectant mother.
Of the nineteen cases referred during the first three months of the year
through various channels such as social workers, general medical practitioners,
health visitors, voluntary social workers, the National Council for the Unmarried
Mother and Her Child, etc., three were admitted to mother and
baby homes and arrangements were made for others to be admitted at the
appropriate time. In addition, one of the cases referred during 1970 was
admitted during this three-month period.
On the 1st April, 1971, responsibility for this service was transferred, by the
Local Authorities Social Services Act 1970, from the Health Department to
the Social Services Department.
"At Rsk" Register
A register is kept of children who, because of some factor noted either
before, during, or after birth, may be thought to be more liable than other
children to suffer a mental or physical abnormality. These children are kept
under observation by the department's medical officers until it is established
that development is normal. Information concerning a child who may be "at
risk" is received from the doctor, health visitor or midwife concerned, and in
consequence the names of 789 children were placed on the register during
1971. Five hundred and sixty-three names were removed from the register in
1971, leaving a total of 1,840 at the end of the year.
Of the 440 children who had hearing tests, nine appeared to have some loss,
eight are still undergoing investigation and one has been issued with a
hearing aid.
Thirty children were reported to be suffering from abnormalities of significance
and at the end of the year there were 28 children in the section of the
register dealing with handicapped children.
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