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

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Shoreditch 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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101
BRUNSWICK DAY NURSERY
This nursery accommodates 40 children. The staff consists of the doctor in
charge who visits the nursery weekly; a matron, two staff nurses and six probationer
nurses. The domestic staff is made up of a daily cleaner and laundry woman who
attends on two days a week. A local practitioner is called in in emergencies. During
the year 1937 the whole day attendances were 7,417 and half-day, 659, the corresponding
figures for 1936 being 7,192 and 690 respectively.
SUN BABIES' NURSERY, NORRIS STREET
The nursery has accommodation for 100 children. With this number the
buildings are rather crowded and the average attendance is usually less. For several
years an annual grant was paid by the Borough Council in consideration of the value
of the work which was done by this nursery. With the discontinued Ministry grant,
this figure makes a total of £1,200, which is the annual contribution of the Borough
Council to this institution.
The medical officer-in-charge 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.
Necessitousness under this scheme is determined by the application of the
"milk scale" (see Annual Report for 1933). In the case of parents whose income
falls within the half-price scale, the Council pays 4½d. per day to the Nursery and
the parent 4½d. Payments under this scheme amounted, during 1937, to £96 17s. 8d.
In addition a grant of £5 12s. 6d. was made towards the cost of holidays for 9 children.
The numbers of children and attendances since the commencement of this arrangement
are shown in the following table:—

Table No. 84

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
1935706,7751366,911
1936383,4752423,717
1937322,539892,628