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A new notifiable infection which has come into prominence during
the last few years, and certainly shows no signs of decline at the
moment, is Poliomyelitis. In the early years of the period under
review, notifications never exceeded 6 to 8, but of more recent years
three times this annual incidence has been experienced and many of
the cases have been of a most severe character, attacking adults and
young adults rather than infants. This menacing newcomer is being
countered by Anti-polio inoculation and it is to be hoped will in
future come under control.
INFANT WELFARE CLINICS.
The Borough Council were responsible for the Child Welfare
Clinics within the confines of the Borough during the early formative
years when the services were developing and expanding. This was
fortuitous but extremely favourable as the great attention paid by
the Councils of those days has resulted in a service in Wembley which
has few equals anywhere in the country.
In 1937 all the clinics were held in Church halls or hired
premises, but the Council were conscious of the need for better and
more extensive and convenient provision, and by the middle of 1938
three ad hoc general purposes clinics were opened and functioning;
the first one was in One Tree Hill, the second in Stag Lane, and the
third in Pcrrin Road, which opened in October of that year; Monks
Park Clinic was opened in April, 1939, and College Road Clinic
followed.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Committee and the Council
displayed great foresight in these days as is shown by their compulsory
acquisition of a site in London Road, intended ultimately as a
central clinic for the Borough, which had to wait until 1948 before
the culmination of the idea and the opening of the clinic.
During the war-time years all clinical services continued to be
offered to the public but mothers and babies were evacuated from
the town in considerable numbers to avoid the risk of air attack.
The amount of medical consultation was curtailed but the
Welfare Clinics and services were utilised by the Government extensively
for the supply of vitamin substances and accessory foods, felt
to be so necessary during the time of dietetic restriction of the War
years.
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