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37
HEALTH SERVICES OF OTHER AUTHORITIES IN THE AREA
Hospitals
The hospital facilities provided by the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, and the
maternity and child welfare and school health services provided by the Middlesex County Council, remain
substantially the same; they are described in the 1948 and 1953 reports.
Liaison with Hospitals
Arrangements were made for an Assistant Medical Officer of Health to attend the Paediatric
Out-Patients Department at the Central Middlesex Hospital, and for the Paediatric House Physician to do
the work of the Assistant Medical Officer of Health, as from the 2nd November, 1953.
These arrangements have been working very satisfactory and have brought the work of the two
departments more closely together.
Personal Health Services
The remainder of the report provides detailed information on the personal health services in the
area since the operation of the National Health Service Act, 1946.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Care of the Expectant Mother.
During 1954, 1,911 expectant mothers (72.0% of the total) attended the local ante-natal clinics
staffed by assistant medical officers (Table 1).
Expectant mothers require adequate ante-natal care throughout pregnancy, and close co-operation
therefore exists between general practitioners, staffs of hospitals, assistant medical officers, midwives, and
health visitors.
Health visitors make the initial arrangements for hospital and domiciliary confinements at the local
clinics. (Table 2.) Mothers booked for confinement in Paddington Hospital or at home, have specimens
of blood taken by assistant medical officers for Wasserman reaction, blood grouping and Rhesus factor. All
expectant mothers are invited to attend the mass X-ray unit at Central Middlesex Hospital.
Health visitors conduct mothercraft classes on the care of the expectant mother, the birth, and the
child (one afternoon a week at the main clinics). They arrange carefully planned programmes of talks
and demonstrations, which are given by the assistant medical officers, health visitors and midwives. Mothers
are encouraged to ask questions, and interesting discussions follow over a cup of tea. In addition, the
health visitor in one clinic gives instruction in knitting, cutting out and sewing.
In 1954, 126 mothercraft classes were held with an average attendance of 11 mothers a session;
205 mothers attended for the first time. (Table 3.)
The physiotherapist conducts ante-natal relaxation classes on two afternoons a week in the orthopaedic
department at Stonebridge health clinic. Mothers appreciate these classes very much, and arrangements
have now been made for a class to be held once a week in the Kilburn health clinic. (Table 4.)
Health visitors and midwives encourage mothers to have post-natal examination six weeks after
confinement, either at the hospital, at the clinic, or by her general practitioner. Health visitors make
follow-up visits where mothers fail to keep appointments at the hospital or clinic.
Child Welfare Clinics.
Child welfare sessions are held on five afternoons a week in the three main clinics and on two
afternoons a week in the two Church Hall clinics. The average number who attended each session was 34,
(Table 5.)
Assistant medical officers and health visitors give advice on the feeding, hygiene and general
management of infants and young children. The doctors immunise children under one year against
diphtheria and whooping cough.
Greeting cards are sent to children on their first and second birthdays, inviting their mothers to
bring them to the clinic for routine yearly examinations and a tuberculin patch test. Mothers appreciate
these greeting cards.
When treatment is required, assistant medical officers inform general practitioners.
A mothers' club is held in the Kilburn health clinic on one afternoon a week. The mothers form
their own committee and run the club themselves with guidance given by a health visitor. They arrange
interesting programmes of lectures and demonstrations on health and homecraft, which are given by
assistant medical officers, health visitors, and outside speakers.