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The clerical work includes the writing of 186 letters, in addition to a number
of postcards, and filling up of Forms of Application for help on behalf of those needing
assistance. The writing of this number of letters, many of them long ones, has taken
up much time that could with greater advantage have been spent in visiting. I consider
that it would be to the advantage of my work in connection with home visiting
if I could be given adequate clerical assistance ; at present I have none at all.
The remainder of this report is divided into sections, consisting of observations
on the work connected with each of the nine sections given above.
(i.) Visits in Connection with Notifications of Births.
The total number of Notifications received during the year was:—
Under the Notification of Births Act 3,228
Notified by the London County Council 158
3,386
The total number of Notifications followed up was 840, leaving 2,546 Notifications
which have not been followed up.
Of these, 871 Notifications were excluded from those to be visited. This number
is composed of:—
(i.) 256 Notifications sent in by midwives of the Medical Mission in Harman
Street. In every one of these cases the mothers are invited to bring
the baby to the Home for periodic weighing and supervision.
(ii.) 430 Notifications concerned those births occurring in families not so
likely as others to require visits.
(iii.) 87 Notifications concerned births occurring in the Holborn Infirmary,
Shepherdess Walk, the parents not belonging to this Borough.
(iv.) 82 Notifications related to still-born children.
(v.) 16 Notifications concerned those resident in the Workhouse, or whose
address was insufficient.
The remaining 1,675 Notifications, which were not followed up, include those
cases where the infant died shortly after birth.
Remarks.
Although it is possible to quote a number of instances in which good work has
been done, yet, taken as a whole, this section of the work cannot be said to have
been undertaken satisfactorily.