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Health Visitors and School Nurses.—The establishment of 18 in
addition to the Superintendent Health Visitor was agreed by the Ilford
Council on the recommendation of the Ministry of Health.
Unfortunately, owing to the extreme difficulty in obtaining staff, it
has been quite impossible even to approach this number in spite of repeated
advertisements and applications to various organisations.
The Ministry, however, stated that they would raise no objection to
employment of assistants to relieve the Health Visitors by undertaking
certain duties at the Infant Welfare Centres, Immunisation Clinics and in
connection with school inspection work which does not require the special
qualifications of certificated Health Visitors. It was suggested that these
nurses be known as Clinic Nurses.
The Ministry of Health have since decided that there would be no
objection to Clinic Nurses visiting the homes of children under 5 years of
age to see how they are progressing, to invite attendance at the Infant
Welfare Centres for advice from the Health Visitor or Doctor, but not in
any way to give advice.
At the end of the year there were only 7 qualified Health Visitors and
School Nurses in addition to the Superintendent Health Visitor, and 5 Clinic
Nurses.
The following is a summary of the home visits made by the Health
Visitors and Clinic Nurses during 1948 as far as the Maternity and Child
Welfare work is concerned.
First visits to newly-born infants 3,148
Subsequent visits to children under 1 year of age 2,969
Subsequent visits to children over 1 year of age and under 5 7,595
Visits to expectant mothers 272
Home visits for other reasons 1,765
Total visits paid 15,749
Day Nurseries.
(a) Becontree Avenue Day Nursery.—It was not possible during the
year to proceed with the erection of the new Nursery in Stevens Road and
the Nursery, therefore, continued to occupy the premises in Becontree
Avenue, at the corner of Winding Way, with the reduced accommodation
for 40 children. The Ministry of Health approved the acceptance of a
tender of £6,443 for the erection of the new nursery, with an additional
expenditure of £750, the cost of standard hutment components supplied
direct by the Ministry of Works. Work commenced on the erection of
the new Nursery in April, 1949.
(b) Green Lane Day Nursery.—A tender of £5,980 was accepted in
May, 1949, for the erection of the new Nursery on the site in Goodmayes
Lane.
(c) The charge of Is. per day for the care of children in the Nurseries
was continued during the year.
(d) The training of Students at the Nurseries for the certificate of
the National Nursery Examination Board continued. Seven Students (three
from the Becontree Avenue Nursery, three from the Ley Street Nursery and
one from the Green Lane Day Nursery) entered for the examination during
the year, six of whom obtained the certificate.
In addition, one Nursery Assistant from the Sunshine House Day
Nursery entered for this examination and gained the certificate.