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annually, generally two in London and two in the provinces.
Medical Officers attended the Annual Congress of the "Royal
Sanitary Institute and the Conference of the National Society of
Maternity and Child Welfare Association, the Chief Sanitary
Inspector attended the Annual Conferences of the Sanitary Inspectors'
Association and the National Smoke Abatement Society.
With the concurrence of the Council the Medical Officer of
Health has conducted classes in Public Health Administration for
medical practitioners attending the Public Health Course of the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Borough
has been approved by the University of London for such tuition.
The Royal College of Nursing has also been sending to Wembley
Student Health Visitors for the practical part of their training,
while request has been received from Battersea Polytechnic for
Student Sanitary Inspectors to be given practical experience and
tuition in Wembley.
Miss V. Matthews, Superintendent Health Visitor, has contributed
the following:—
Health education has been continued during 1947 in many
different ways. Individual teaching takes place in the home, in
the Clinics and, when the opportunity presents itself, at School
Medical Inspections, and is thoroughly pursued by the Medical
Officers and Health Visitors. Dental Officers also take advantage
of every chance to teach the necessity of the care of the
teeth and, in general, the public have become more widely aware
that dental sepsis frequently spells general ill-health.
Posters relating to various subjects are regularly displayed
at all Health Clinics and informative leaflets distributed to the
public and sometimes to older school-children. The blackboard is
frequently used to bring some point of topical interest to the
notice of those attending the Clinics.
Group teaching has been extended and now takes its place
as an important part of the Ante-Natal Clinic in all buildings
which are suitable (all but the two Church Halls). Mothers
attend the Mothercraft Class immediately prior to the Doctor's
Ante-Natal Session. This has proved the best time for all concerned
but the arrangement does limit somewhat the full success
of the appointments-time scheme. An average attendance at the
class is 10 mothers, and it is obvious that all cannot see the
Doctor at the same time. However, the majority of those who
enjoy attending the classes are women expecting their first babies
and the visit to the Ante-Natal Clinic provides for them an opportunity
for exchange of view with others, as well as for obtaining
the necessary medical advice, discussion regarding baby clothes,
etc., and the collection of the Government vitamin preparations.
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