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42
precipitating cause, the mother already haying contemplated withdrawing
the child on other grounds, such as her decision to give up
work. All those on the waiting list were advised of the revised scale of
payment. The result of the withdrawal of some children from the
nursery and many of those on the waiting list was the virtual elimination
of this waiting list. Although for some time in some sections of some
nurseries there were vacancies not taken up, this reduced demand for
admission enabled arrangements to be made for the first time since the
nurseries had been opened for some children to be admitted on health
grounds, that is in the interests of the family rather than in the interests
of the country's productive effort.
Residential Nursery.
The Ministry of Health agreed to the Honeypot Lane Isolation
hospital which had not had patients in it since early 1944 being converted
into a residential nursery. The work is now in hand. The premises as
part of the Council's maternity and child welfare service were on July
5th transferred to the County Council. It is probable that the nursery
will be administered not by the health department of the County Council
but by the newly created children's department with the result that its
administration will not be delegated to the local area.