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16
STAFF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Thirty-six medical examinations were carried out by the Medical Officer of Health and Deputy
Medical Officer in connection with the admission of staff to the superannuation scheme.
In addition, five special reports were made to the Council on staff who had prolonged periods of
sickness and whose sick pay had expired, and one special enquiry was made for a Chief Officer.
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 Paediatric 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
Close co-operation continued between general practitioners, assistant medical officers, health visitors,
midwives and hospital staff to provide expectant mothers with adequate ante-natal care throughout pregnancy.
The co-operation card is now being more widely brought into use for attendances between local clinics and
hospitals. This card, which is retained by the patient, ensures that a record of her ante-natal care is
immediately available wherever she attends.
The allocation of maternity beds at St. Andrew's Hospital was discontinued in May, when the hospitals
were made responsible for patients who had grounds for hospital confinement living within their catchment
area.
Health visitors continue to follow-up expectant mothers who have failed to keep their appointments
at local and hospital clinics.
CHILD WELFARE CLINICS
Child welfare sessions are held in the seven clinics staffed by assistant medical officers, health visitors
and clinic nurses. Two new clinics were opened during the year, Kilburn Square on the 13th January, which
replaced the Willesden Lane Clinic, and Mortimer Road on the 12th May, which replaced St. Martin's Church
Hall Clinic.
Mothers are able to discuss the general management and feeding of the baby or toddler. Weight can
be checked and initial examination given, and routine medical check-ups are available.
More general practitioners are conducting their own child welfare sessions and some have asked for
a health visitor to assist them at these sessions.
Immunisation continues to be carried out against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis,
also vaccination against smallpox.
A number of children born in 1963 have taken part in the Medical Research Council's measles
vaccine trial. When the results are made known it is hoped that a measles vaccine will be included in the
immunisation programme.
A nursing assistant continues to be employed at Pound Lane Clinic for three sessions a week to care
for children when their mothers are attending at clinic sessions.
PREVENTION OF BREAK-UPS OF FAMILIES IN WILLESDEN
The Family Service Unit continues its work in this area. Several new families were referred to the
Unit for help and advice. One family was sent to Frimhurst for a period of rehabilitation.
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
Looking back this has been a very productive year! For the first time in many years, the midwifery
staff have been up to establishment—and an off-duty rota was started which has been most successful.
Midwives hold their own ante-natal sessions, but work in close liaison with general practitioners
and hospitals.
Three part-time midwives have been appointed for early discharge schemes; difficulty was experienced
early on, because the hospital was unable to participate in the plan, due to lack of staff.