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18
STAFF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
47 staff medical examinations were carried out by the Medical Officer of Health and Deputy Medical
Officer of Health.
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, 1953, 1957 and 1958 reports.
Liaison with hospitals
The exchange of medical officers between the Pediatric Out-patients Department at the Central
Middlesex Hospital and the local health authority continued. This scheme has been working very satisfactorily
and has 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.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Care of the Expectant Mother
During 1960, 61% of all expectant mothers attended the local ante-natal clinics staffed by assistant
medical officers (Table 46).
Close co-operation exists between general practitioners, staffs of hospitals, assistant medical officers,
midwives and health visitors to provide expectant mothers with adequate ante-natal care throughout
pregnancy.
Health visitors make the initial arrangements for hospital and domiciliary confinements at the local
clinics (Table 47). Mothers booked for confinement at home or in Paddington Hospital have specimens of
blood taken by assistant medical officers for the Wasserman reaction, blood grouping, blood haemoglobin and
the Rhesus factor. Expectant mothers are invited to attend the Mass X-Ray Unit at Central Middlesex
Hospital.
Health visitors conduct mothercraft classes (one afternoon a week at the main clinics) on the birth
and care of the expectant mother and the child. They arrange carefully planned programmes of talks and
demonstrations, which are given by the assistant medical officers, health visitors and widwives. Mothers are
encouraged to ask questions and interesting discussions follow over a cup of tea (Table 48).
The physiotherapist conducts ante-natal relaxation classes on two afternoons a week at Stonebridge
Clinic and on one afternoon a week at Pound Lane Clinic; a health visitor conducts the classes at Kilburn
Clinic on one morning (Table 49). The mothers enjoy these classes and their association with other
expectant mothers has a good psychological effect. There is no doubt that the exercises help the mother at
the time of the confinement. She is taught how to breathe correctly and how to relax, which is of great
value, especially when an analgesic is administered. She also learns the various positions she will require
to take up during labour and, therefore, gains further confidence.
Some hospitals do the ante-natal care, mothercraft and relaxation exercises for their own expectant
mothers.
Health visitors and midwives encourage mothers to have post-natal examination six weeks after the
confinement, at the hospital, clinic or general practitioner's surgery. Health visitors visit mothers who fail to
keep appointments at the hospital or clinics.
Child Welfare Clinics
Child welfare sessions are held in seven clinics; three are main ones and four are subsidiary ones.
The subsidiary clinics were all held in church halls but one of them was transferred in May, 1960, to a
converted house at 5 Chichester Terrace, Kilburn, N.W.6.
Assistant medical officers and health visitors give advice on the feeding, hygiene and general management
of infants and young children. The doctors immunise children against diphtheria, whooping cough and
poliomyelitis and recently against tetanus as well.
Compared with the previous year, the proportion of children vaccinated against smallpox (Table 60)
increased by approximately 12% while the number immunised against diphtheria (Table 61) increased by
27%.
At Pound Lane Clinic an experienced woman is employed for three sessions a week to care for
children when their mothers are attending at clinic sessions. 138 sessions were held and 545 attendances were
made.
The Mothers' Club which was held in Kilburn Clinic, was discontinued during the year, because very
few mothers supported it. The Stonebridge Clinic Mothers' Club formed six years ago has become firmly
established with a membership of 50. The mothers meet once a week and run the club and committees themselves
with the help of the nursing staff; an average attendance at meetings is 30. The club is selfsupporting
and its assets amount to about £16.