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18
HEALTH SERVICES OF THE AREA
(A) PERSONAL HEALTH
The Middlesex County Council is the local health authority under the
National Health Service Act, 1946. The County is divided into ten health
areas of which the Borough of Harrow constitutes Area 5. The County
Council has also set up a scheme of decentralized administration in which
certain powers have been delegated to Area Committees concerning the
local health authority's functions under Part 3 of the National Health
Service Act, and the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act. The
following services are provided in the Area:—
1. Care of Mothers and Young Children.
2. Midwifery.
3. Visiting.
4. Home Nursing.
5. Vaccination and Immunisation.
6. Chirpody Service.
7. Domestic Help.
Care of Mothers and Young Children.
Under this section regular clinic sessions are held each week throughout
the Area. Here expectant mothers are provided with ante-natal care
throughout pregnancy, receive advice and care of the expectant mother
and child through the medium of mothercraft classes, and also take part
in ante-natal relaxation classes which have undoubtedly proved of great
value and assistance to the mother at the time of the confinement. In
addition, at the infant welfare sessions, advice on the feeding, hygiene
and general management of young children is available, together with
facilities for vaccination against smallpox, immunisation against diphtheria,
whooping cough, tetanus and poliomyelitis. Dental clinics are
available, providing complete dental treatment for expectant and nursing
mothers and children.
Day Nurseries.
Two day nurseries (a) Headstone Drive Nursery, Wealdstone, with
50 places, and (b) Walton Avenue Nursery, South Harrow, with 60 places,
provide for the needs of children aged 0-5 years for whom it is considered
nursery provision is needed on health grounds.
Midwifery.
The Area has an establishment of 13½ certified midwives for attendance
as midwives at home confinements. During the year the actual number
employed was 11. The midwives working in liaison with the genera
practitioners provide ante-natal supervision of mothers expecting to be
confined at home. They hold regular booking clinics and also visit the
homes to ensure that everything is in order for a home confinemen.