View report page

9
The health visitors now visit the Ilford Maternity Hospital regularly,
to see cases from their own districts before they are discharged. This
arrangement is being made easy by the co-operation of a far-sighted
Matron. For some years I have been trying to make it possible for our
health visitors to visit the Children's ward and Out-patient Department of
King George Hospital, not only to maintain contact with children from
their district who may be under treatment, but also to bring social information
to the hospital staff and take medical information, if necessary, to the
family doctor. This project has so far met with no success.
When the health visiting staff was very depleted, we were compelled
to cease the relaxation exercises for expectant mothers. I am glad to be
able to state that these have been re-started at the Mayesbrook and
Manford Way Clinics.
Mental Health.
It may be considered strange that such a heading should appear in
the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health of a Municipal
Borough, as officially Mental Health lies entirely within the province of
the Local Health Authority and is not in any way delegated, and institutional
and specialist treatment is conducted by the Regional Hospital
Board. However, it is inescapable for Ilford, as for almost any other Local
Authority, or Health Sub-Area, to enter into this field in its preventive
aspects.
For some years, of course, the Child Guidance Clinic has been
functioning under the aegis of the Ilford Committee for Education, but
many people are now beginning to think that the time for prevention is
before mothers and children have to be referred to this Clinic. It is the
Health Visitor and the Infant Welfare Centre that are much concerned
with this early aspect. Every attempt is now being made locally to interest
our doctors and health visitors in this topic. It is of course quite impossible
to insist that any individual should have an interest in the prevention of
mental disease. It is only possible to encourage it.
One of the school medical officers, Dr. Pooley, has accordingly
attended the Annual Conference of the National Association for Mental
Health held during March, 1955, and in the autumn the Central Council
for Health Education are giving for us in Ilford a two-day course on
"Human Relations" at which our doctors, health visitors and sanitary
inspectors will attend. In addition to this, co-operation between the Public
Health staff and the staff of the Child Guidance Clinic is being made
more intimate, case conferences are being held, and it is hoped to have
periods when principles may be discussed.
While mentioning this course to be given by the Central Council for
Health Education, I would also like to mention another two-day course
which they gave us on Health Education earlier in the year, and which
health visitors and sanitary inspectors attended. It proved a most excellent
and stimulating series of discussions.
Health and Home Safety Week.
In April, 1955, a Health and Home Safety Week was held in the town,
run by the Ilford Borough Council, the Essex County Council and the
Women's Voluntary Services. A more complete description will be found
elsewhere in the Report, but without a doubt the various aspects provided
a most instructive, and often entertaining, episode for those who managed
to take part or attend. I think, for example, that those who listened to
Dr. Grantly Dick Read's talk on "Childbirth without Fear," and saw his
extraordinary film at the Little Theatre, received an impression which they
will not easily forget.
I would like to thank everybody who took part, and Messrs. Harrison
Gibson for the loan of their premises for the Exhibition.