London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Shoreditch 1934

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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79
The medical officer-in-clmrge—Dr. Morton—attends once weekly for the purpose
of examining children. The services of a local practitioner are available in an
emergency.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Committee have an arrangement with the
Nursery under which payment (9d. per day) is made for the admission of the children
of necessitous parents upon the recommendation of the Health Visitor.

The numbers of children and attendances since the commencement of this arrangement are shown in the following table:—

Year.No. of Children.Attendances.Total Attendances.
At full cost.At half cost.
1929 (11 weeks)2039436430
1930694,5081244,632
1931645,3162655,581
19321585,980616,041
1933755,2921645,456
1934625,5621245,686

In order to ensure continuity of feeding of the bottle-fed babies attending the
Nursery, milk (wet or dry) is supplied by the Nursery to the mothers of these babies
for feeds at night and during week-ends.
The total number of whole-day attendances at this nursery during 1934 was
17,896, and of half-day attendances 772. The corresponding figures for 1933 were:
whole-day, 10,949; half-day, 574.
The resident staff of the Nursery consists of a matron, two nurses, two
probationers, a day nursery teacher and a cook. The cleaning and laundry staff are
non-resident.
Dr. Morton, in her report to the Medical Officer of Health on the medical aspect
of the institution for the year 1934, states that the total attendances for the year
1934 were lower than they might have been owing to the fact that the Nursery was
closed for two weeks at holiday time. This arrangement was in the nature of an
experiment to enable all members of the staff to take their holidays at one time,
thus avoiding the Nursery being carried on with a depleted staff. The closing of
the building also provided facilities for thorough cleansing. Although the total
attendances were possibly reduced as a result of the closure, the average attendance
was higher than for 1933. It is interesting to note that there is always a waiting list
for babies under nine months. During the year certain structural alterations were
carried out. The result was an improvement in the general condition of the building.