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The Watling and Willesden Training School for Second-period Pupil Midwives.—During the year
29 pupil midwives worked on the district.
Of the 432 confinements dealt with by the Municipal Midwives, the pupil midwives attended 357 under the
direct or indirect supervision of the midwives. The pupil midwives took responsibility for the ante-natal care,
attended and took responsibility for the labours and nursed the mothers and their babies during the 14 days
immediately following labour.
In addition to the work shown above in respect of the Municipal Midwives' cases in Willesden, the pupil
midwives attended:—
Ante-Natal Clinics 55
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics for mothers and babies 38
The Lecture Courses.
A Discussion Class, each week, taken by the Supervisor of Midwives at the Health
Department.
Of the 29 pupil midwives, 19 sat for their final midwifery examination, 17 passed, 2 failed, but one passed
at a subsequent examination.
TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
for the
YEAR 1945
on
DENTAL WORK in connection with SCHOOL CHILDREN, EXPECTANT
and NURSING MOTHERS and CHILDREN under 5 years.
By E. A. JENNINGS, L.D.S., R.C.S.Eng.
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE.
The New Act.—The Education Act, 1944, makes provision for compulsory dental inspection of all children
attending primary, secondary, nursery, special schools and County colleges, and offers treatment at Municipal
Centres, free of charge, to all scholars.
It becomes imperative for Local Education Authorities to secure adequate staff and clinic accommodation
for the successful operation of the Act.
Staff. The total school population of Willesden is approximately 21,000 and the recognised figure of allotment,
subscribed to by the Ministry of Education to each dental officer, is not more than 3,000 children per year.
Seven dental officers would thus be needed to cover the demands of the area and with the extension of the
school-leaving age to 16 years this number would be increased to nine officers.
Surgeries.—There are at present in Willesden four surgeries. It therefore becomes necessary to install for
the School Medical Service a further five.
The surgeries at Willesden Green and Stonebridge Park are fitted with electric bracket engines, pelton lamps,
suitable dental cabinets, operating chairs, pedestal spitoons, nasal nitrous oxide and oxygen apparatus and are thus
moderately equipped. The Kilburn Health Centre has had in use for some years a complete dental unit. This
has proved to be a valuable addition and should be included in all surgeries.
X-ray.—The Willesden General Hospital Authorities since 1934 have undertaken to do all dental X-ray work for
the Council. This has proved to be a great help, but in order to enable the dental officers to make the fullest use
of this indispensable auxiliary, X-ray machines should be installed in one or more of the Health Centres for the
immediate use of the operating staff.
Bacteriology.—Facilities are provided at the Willesden Isolation Hospital for bacteriological investigations.
Anaesthesia.—Continuous nitrous oxide oxygen anaesthesia is used almost exclusively for the removal of
teeth. This is administered by a specially appointed Anaethetist who attends each dental officer one session a week.
Orthodontics.—The Council, in 1937, while deliberating on the question of the supply of orthodontic
appliances, decided, with the consent of the Ministry of Education, to transfer children with irregular teeth to
Hospital for complete treatment.
In each case the parents would contribute towards the cost according to their means. No further developments
have been made to deal with this form of treatment and the same conditions remain today as in 1937, except
that this treatment is now free.