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The Middlesex County Council runs a district nurse training home at 17-19 Park Avenue, Willesden.
The candidates assist the home nurses, and some are recruited into the service when they have finished their
course.
Home nurses give various injections and other treatments, and general care to patients and the aged
and infirm (Table 60), in close co-operation with general practitioners, who make the majority of the requests
for this work.
As from January 1st, 1958, home nurses will provide special treatment for ulcers of legs to patients
in their own homes under the supervision of general practitioners and the Physician-in-Charge of this department
at the Central Middlesex Hospital. More patients will then be able to receive attention at the hospital
and some of them will be saved the difficulties of travelling to and from the hospital for routine treatment.
SMALLPOX VACCINATION
Vaccinations are done by the Staff at the health clinics, but most of them are carried out by general
practitioners. The number of children under 1 year of age vaccinated, represents 43.5% of the total live
births for the year (Table 62).
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION
All children under one year old are offered protection against diphtheria, and private doctors and
assistant medical officers of health immunise them; the material for immunisation is supplied free of charge
by the Medical Research Council.
Children usually receive reinforcing doses just before they start school. Table 63 shows the total
number of children who have received protection against diphtheria during the last 15 years (1943-1957).
The estimated percentage of children who have received an injection during their school life is 78.6.
INOCULATION AGAINST POLIOMYELITIS
The registration and inoculation of children against poliomyelitis continued throughout the year.
Early in 1957 it was announced that general practitioners would take part in the scheme, and parents
were given the option of inoculation by their own doctor or at the local clinic.
In May further groups of children were added to the list of those eligible for vaccination, namely,
children born in 1955 and 1956, and those born in 1947 to 1954 not hitherto registered.
In November further groups were added—expectant mothers, children born in the years 1943
to 1946, and children born in 1957 who had reached six months of age. General medical practitioners,
ambulance personnel, hospital staff and their families, also became eligible for inoculation.
During the year, increased supplies of British vaccine became available and the programme of clinic
sessions was expanded accordingly. Supplies of Canadian Salk vaccine were expected to become available
early in 1958, which would enable more children to be protected.
Table No. 64 shows the number of children and others registered up to the end of 1957, together
with the number who had received two injections (general practitioners and clinics) since the beginning of the
scheme in January, 1956.
HOME HELP (Tables 65 and 66)
Compared with the previous year there was little change in the number of new cases, or of those still
receiving help at the end of the year, but the weekly number of hours required was lower in many cases
due to the rising cost of the service. The maximum charge was increased from 3/6d. to 4/0d. per hour, and
the assessments according to scale, correspondingly higher.
The rate of pay for home helps increased from 3/l5/8d. to 3/3½d. per hour. Recruitment of staff did
not present great difficulty, but sickness of staff led to inadequate provision of help for temporary periods,
for example during the outbreak of Asian 'Flu.
A training scheme for home helps was commenced, a course of 5 lectures being given to groups
of 10 helpers at fortnightly intervals. Home helps for the course are selected according to their seniority
of service, those working 30 hours and over per week being considered first.
DAY NURSERIES
There are now 8 Day Nurseries with a total of 390 approved places (Table 67). Crest Road Day
Nursery (50 approved places) was closed on the 30th August and the 42 children attending there were transferred
to other nurseries and the County Council provided transport for 21 of them because journey by
public transport was difficult.
The number of children awaiting vacancies has increased during the year. The parents of children
awaiting admission to Chichester Road and Gladstone Park Day Nurseries often accepted vacancies at
Crest Road Day Nursery, and the mothers found work nearby. With the closure of Crest Road Day Nursery
these mothers could not be accommodated and the number of children on the waiting list immediately
increased.
23 of the 27 children awaiting admission were for Gladstone Park and Chichester Road Day
Nursery.