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continue this clinic. I think we must accept the fact that mothers are only
interested in clinics for their children when they are under one year of
age, and need considerable persuasion to attend any clinics with them until
they must compulsorily do so when they attend for routine medical
inspections on entering school.
Owing to a shortage of doctors 1 myself have returned to baby clinic
work, doing a centre at Valentines Mansion once a week. This has been
a rather salutary experience for me, as I have not been doing this work
for about seven years. A return to it has made me feel how necessary it
is for administrators to keep in close touch with the practical and clinical
aspect of their work. I have introduced a new feature in that when possible
a small group of mothers (3 to 6) have been asked into the consulting room
for a short discussion lasting 15-20 minutes. This discussion is meant to
cover any topics of medical interest, such as polio vaccination, baby feeding,
relationships with the medical profession, and such like. It is often difficult
to persuade mothers to come to this talk, for they usually feel that a
visit to the doctor implies an examination and medical recommendation.
Those mothers who do attend have, I am sure, benefitted by the discussion.
Preventive Psychiatry.
The group discussion method has been introduced in a new feature
in which the Child Guidance Clinic are co-operating with us. Dr. Davidson,
the Medical Director of the Child Guidance Clinic, and the other members
of her staff, do at certain intervals meet groups of mothers for a discussion
of various problems connected with mental health. These mothers are not
people who have actually been referred to a psychiatrist or Child Guidance
Clinic but have problems which, if suitably discussed at an early stage, may
lead to better understanding and eventually obviate a more definite mental
disturbance in mother or child, and so be truly termed preventive psychiatry.
Problem Family Committees.
We are still continuing these committees when need arises. We like
them to be as small as possible. Only those officers intimately concerned
with the problem are asked to attend. We have been very pleased indeed
recently to find that the Head Teachers of the schools in which the children
attend have been present and also, in two cases, the family doctor. These
conferences have shown beyond all doubt that the best co-ordinating officer
dealing with the problem family is the Health Visitor.
Health Exhibition.
Although generally we do not rush into health exhibitions, we often
find that we are drawn into one. An opportunity has presented itself
this year at the Essex Ideal Homes Exhibition at Gordon Fields. Here
the Public Health Inspectorate have produced a most excellent exhibition
dealing with problems of clean air and clean food; and the Ilford Home
Safety Committee have had a stand next to them, dealing with the problems
of flammability of clothing. This stand has been favourably commented
upon, and even borrowed.
Public Relations.
In the autumn we are having a Public Relations Seminar to be conducted
by the Central Council for Health Education. This will be mainly
for the members of the Public Health Department, but it is hoped that
members of other departments and the County Council will join in, for
in the wide field of public relations, the relationships between one department
and another are also concerned. On one morning it is hoped there
will be a panel discussion where the audience will be the members taking
part in the Seminar, and the panel group the Chief Officers of the Corporation
and a family doctor, with the press in attendance.