London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
East Ham 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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55
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE CLINICS
The work. Is now distributed between four ellnics of the local health
authority, and for the extreme south of the borough the Fernhill Street Baths
clinic premises are still used.
A new centre was opened on 10th July, 1953 in the old Shrewsbury Road
School, the better to serve that large centre of population In the north-west
area, which ultimately will be covered by the clinic it is proposed to erect
on the Durban House site.
These school premises have many disadvantages. They are difficult to
keep warm, have no proper disrobing arrangements and Inadequate toilet
facilities. But in spite of this, the advantage to the mothers of not having
to trek long distances (possibly with one or two other infants to take along)
appears to outweigh all other considerations, and the clinic Is well attended.
Nevertheless we look forward to the day when this large section of our population
will be better served in the matter of clinic premises.
There had been a falling off in the number of expectant mothers attending
our ante-natal clinics. The reasons for this are:-
1. General drop In the birth rate.
2. Reduction in population especially that fraction of virile young
persons who have been rehoused in the Council's out-county schemes.
3. Greater share in this work by both general practitioners and the
maternity hospitals in the area.
It is quite usual for the maternity hospitals to see a proportion of
the cases to be delivered in their wards. Where this does not
entail a long or awkward journey by the expectant mothers the position
is quite logical, but where a long, tedious journey Is involved,
in many instances the arrangement for ante-natal supervision could
well be reviewed with advantage.
DAY NURSERIES
TABLE 33
| Year | Number at | No. of approved places | No. of children on the register at the end of the year | Average daily | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31st December | 0-2 years | 2-5 years | 0-2 years | 2-5 years | 0-2 years | 2-5 years | |
| 1953 | 2 | 60 | 89 | 20 | 55 | 19.1 | 54.1 |
| 1954 | 2 | 60 | 89 | 17 | 63 | 12.7 | 52.9 |
There are no Nurseries In the borough provided by Voluntary Organisations,
all nurseries being operated by the authority.
No new Nurseries were opened, but on 2nd April 1953 the Roman Road and
School Road Nurseries were closed, the children being transferred to one of
the two remaining nurseries.