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Child Welfare Clinics
Total attendances at the Clinics fell from 62991 in 1965 to
51628 in 1966, the average number of attendances for all children
falling from 6.7 to 5.8 per annum. This may possibly be due to
the recent changes, described above, in reducing the emphasis
on regular weighing of children, the reduction in the number of
nutrients available in the clinics, and also to the fact that
separate immunisation sessions were held in the Clinics in the
Romford area in 1966, instead of vaccination and immunisations
being given at child welfare clinic sessions.

Health Visiting (and Clinic Nursing)
Reference was made in the 1965 report to the wide range
of duties undertaken by the Health Visitor. These duties, which
many years ago were primarily concerned with the routine visiting
of mothers and young children, have now widened to cover school
health and medico social work and home visiting of the elderly.
Closer liason with general practitioners during the past two
years has accentuated this widening range of duties as will be
seen by comparison of the statistics relating to visits paid
during 1965 and 1966. See table 13 below.
At December 1966, out of an establishment of 58 the equivalent
of 32.5 full time Health Visitors (including five Visitors
dealing entirely with persons suffering from tuberculosis) were
employed in the area. The shortage of trained Health Visitors
which applied throughout the country was overcome, as far as
possible, by employing 17 Part-time Clinic Nurses to undertake
clinic and school health work, thus freeing Health Visitors for
those duties for which their training was especially required.
During the year the number of Health Visitors appointed as
19