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10
Tonsils and Adenoids.
In past years we have complained considerably about the large waiting
list for tonsils and adenoids operations. In 1949 the waiting list was somewhere
in the region of 900. It has dropped progressively. Five years
later it was 92, last year it was 44 and at the end of June this year had been
reduced to the almost non-existent level of 7. This is an example of cooperation
between the Regional Hospital Board and the Local Authority,
for beds and a theatre were specially set aside for these operations at the
Ilford Isolation Hospital.
Because of the small outbreak of poliomyelitis which we have had
this year, I have been compelled to recommend that tonsils and adenoids
operations be suspended temporarily as it is known that bulbar poliomyelitis
is more likely to occur among those who have hud their tonsils removed.
I wonder if the authorities have considered releasing poliomyelitis vaccine
for those who require to have this operation so that, say, three months
after immunisation the operation could be carried out presumably in safety.
Health Visiting.
The importance and scope of the work of the Health Visitor is continually
increasing. Last year the home visits made by Health Visitors,
other than those concerned with Maternity and Child Welfare, increased
by 50 per cent from 824 to 1,296. This demonstrates more clearly than
any other figures that I could give that the Health Visitor is now concerning
herself with the problems of all in the family and not only those of
the mothers and young children.
One general practitioner has asked and been allotted the services of
a Health Visitor for his Infant Welfare Centre. This means of co-operation
and integration is something which we would like to see expanded.
A Health Visitor now attends the Paediatric Clinic at King George
Hospital in lieu of our doctors, who now act as clinical assistants at the
Paediatric Clinic held at these Offices.
In 1956, the Health Visitors carried out 59,754 head inspections in
the schools and found only 71 children who were infested. It is becoming
increasingly apparent that too much time is being wasted on these examinations
which may once have served a very useful purpose but are now
somewhat outmoded. The Ilford Education Committee is giving serious
consideration to a broadening of the scope of the work that the Health
Visitors do in the schools and it is suggested that less time be spent on
routine head inspections and more time on a general survey of the children
and consultations with the Head Teachers and the staff with respect to
children who have any special problems. It should be remembered that
the Health Visitor knows the home and should know the private doctor
of any of these children and is thus in an excellent position to make further
enquiries and recommendations.
Infant Welfare Centres.
A new infant welfare centre is now under way in the Padnall Estate
at St. Mark's Church Hall. This is actually in the Borough of Dagenham,
but being easily accessible to the Ilford mothers, the Area Medical Officer
of Dagenham has very kindly made facilities available. For the first time
for many years the number of attendances at our infant welfare centres
is increasing and last year rose from 36,196 to 36,902. It is strange that
although infant welfare centres are popular, we have never been able to
make a success of toddlers' clinics in this town. Some years ago an attempt
was made to start them and this had to be stopped when the war broke
out. We started them again last year at Manford Way Clinic but unfortunately
the response from the mothers was not enough to allow us to