View report page

25
PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
These services are provided under Part III of the National Health
Service Act of 1946.
Section 22
Care of Mothers and Young Children
Facilities for the ante.natal and post.natal care of expectant mothers
are provided at fourteen centres throughout the Borough. The changing
pattern noted over the last few years whereby more mothers attend hospital
and/or their own general practitioner for ante.natal care is again evident
in the decrease in attendances at ante.natal clinics. The work of the local
authority is now much more in the realm of preparation for child birth
and takes the form of mothercraft and ante.natal relaxation classes.
Judging by the numbers attending these classes, this service seems to be
worth.while and of value to the expectant mother. The classes are held
in nine clinics by appointment, thirteen classes are given weekly. Each
recommended course lasts between 8.9 weeks, starting during the 5th
month of pregnancy.
The weekly haematology clinic for taking blood specimens from expectant
mothers is now well established and great co.operation is maintained
with the pathological department at Edgware General Hospital
with immediate tests and reports. The clinic is held every Thursday afternoon
at the Caryl Thomas Clinic, Headstone Drive. Appointments can
be made by telephoning the clinic—Tel.: Harrow 4484.
Child welfare sessions are held at 18 centres. Attendance at these
sessions is the obvious follow.on to the birth of the child, as advice on
the feeding, hygiene and general management of the infant is available.
Special toddlers' clinics are also held where the mothers of older infants
are seen by appointment. Here the mother has ample opportunity to
discuss with the clinic staff the general progress of her child. Facilities
for vaccination and immunisation are available at all these child welfare
sessions. The number of children attending infant welfare and toddlers'
sessions increased from 10,527 in 1964 to 11,647 in 1965.
Care of the Unsupported Mother and her Child
With the break.up of the Middlesex County Council, the special
services almoner department was de.centralised and the three Medical
Social Workers appointed to different boroughs. Harrow shares a Medical
Social Worker with the London Borough of Brent and the service for the
unsupported mother and child continues as before.
During the year, a total of 77 unsupported mothers from the Harrow
area were maintained in Mother and Baby Homes, 21 in homes run by
voluntary organisations and 56 in local authority homes.