London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Leyton 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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Extension of the pilot scheme during 1962 to include one session per week at
Leyton Green Clinic will give further opportunities for assessing the value of this
service and will be reported to the appropriate committees in due course.
It has soon become apparent that these, to be more than a simple child minding
service, require a high degree of skill and understanding and maturity on the part of
the nursery nurses and very close co-operation with the medical officers and health
visitors at the clinic. All the staff concerned have shown great enthusiasm and skill
in developing this form of preventive mental health service.
TODDLERS' PLAY SESSIONS
| No. of Sessions | 45 |
| No. of children admitted | 37 |
| Total attendance | 573 |
| Average attendance per session..... | 15 |
A summary of the cases who have attended these sessions, giving a brief report of
the background and progress of each of the children, who have attended, may help to
give a clearer indication of the re-orientation of the health services.
SUMMARY OP CASES TO 31ST DECEMBER, 1961.
| Initials and Date of Birth | History prior to Admission | Observat ions following at tendances at the Session |
|---|---|---|
| G.B. 22.8.56 | After this child's birth the mother had been admitted to hospital for treatment for iritis. She has recently returned home but still has difficulty with her vision and consequently easily loses patience with the child. The mother realises that this is unfair to the child. | At her first visit the child appeared very eager and interested in everything. Her conversation was reasonably intelligent and she drew some letters of the alphabet on the blackboard. She appeared to co-operate well with other children and thoroughly enjoyed herself at the Centre. The mother states that she herself is able to relax more since she has had the help of the Play Centre, and therefore is more patient with the child. She has now started school and enjoys it thoroughly. |
| C.B. 3.7.57 | Since birth of the child there has been marital disharmony. As a baby the child was very cross and has developed into a somewhat spoilt and peevish child needing the companionship of other children. | On admission this child appeared to be quiet and looked very anxious. She was interested in the play equipment and made some advances to other children. Talks sensible and willingly but it took nearly 2 months for this child to settle down. She plays well within the group and has derived great help from being with other children and not always the centre of attraction. |
| J.B. 14.11.56 | This is the youngest child of a large family where the brothers and sisters are either at work or school. She is very lonely and would benefit from the play centre before commencing school in September. | The child was very nervous and anxious on admission and refused to leave nurse or speak to other children. She became more relaxed on her third visit and was able to play constructively. On her |
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